Angel on the Cover
by cdraco
Summary: Having fulfilled his destiny by killing Voldemort Harry is free to enjoy his life with Draco. All is well until Harry suddenly disappears,leaving Draco to seek employment all while dealing with the biological present Harry left behind. Mpreg HD slash
1. Chapter 1

A/N I'm reposting chapters 1 & 2 now that I got a Beta to help me clean it up- Thanks to NoScrubs12345

Disclaimer: Harry Potter belongs to J.K Rowling , I just borrow them for my own amusement

* * *

Draco pressed the heels of his palms into his eyes willing the frustrated tears to stop forming behind his eyelids. 

He drew in a deep breath and straightened out before he finished exhaling.

This wasn't going to the get the best of him! He was stronger than all this! He wouldn't be brought down by the act of bringing life into the world!

He wasn't the first person to be pregnant and certainly wasn't going to be the last, and although it was rare to be a single parent, it wasn't unheard of. He wanted to have children some day but he didn't expect to be penniless when it happened.

"Draco, take that off and come over here!"

He stood up, dropping the cloak on the floor where he stood and moved forward, hating the eyes that followed his path hungrily.

"Look up."

He damned Potter at the moment for the millionth time as he felt hands under his chin making his eyes meet the other's.

"Draco, are you feeling okay? Do you need to rest for a little bit?" The photographer smiled apologetically. "I would offer to do it later, but the photos need to be done today or we'll both end up without pay."

"It's fine. Let's just finish this." He nodded to reassure him that he was ready to start.

The photographer, Rob, arranged Draco's body in a pose he envisioned for the dungeon-like brick wall behind him. Draco made a striking figure in tight leather pants, which hung off his hips and clung to his body like second skin. He was shirtless and the paleness of his body was exquisitely accentuated by the dark theme of the photo shoot.

As Rob snapped away, Draco tried as hard as he could to hold in that annoying extra flesh that had recently made a rude appearance on his body.

"Draco, stop holding your breath!" came the short command.

He let go of the hold that saved his dignity, and dropped his arms from where they rested above his head to rest folded behind his head.

He looked away petulantly to the side. Rob bit back a complaint as he snapped pictures of Draco in that fussy pose, his barely there pout made you want to either kiss it away or turn him over your knee for a spanking. Whatever emotion it invoked in the observer, no one could deny that Draco Malfoy was a beautiful specimen.

As Rob told everyone to pack up and watched Draco head back to the dressing room, he wondered what was bothering the pregnant man. Not for the first time, he wondered where the father of Draco's unborn child was.

Rob had met Draco in a park while taking some time to take scenic photos. He remembered the gorgeous young man sitting on a bench starring out into the lake: The wind tousled baby-fine blond hair, those piercing gray eyes, and a clear complexion that was sure to be the envy of many. He had been dressed in a pair of black slacks and a gray turtle neck sweater.

Something about the young man had struck a chord in him; he seemed so resigned and lost, even as he glared at Rob when he caught him starring.

"There you are!" a heavily gasping man got the words out before he bent resting his hands on his thighs to catch his breath. The man was middle-aged and was clinging to the final strands of his hair in a ridiculous comb over.

The blond looked at him but said nothing.

"You left so quickly. You really need the right kind of work and I can offer you a position working for me," the man said as he sat down next to the blond on the bench.

The bald man shifted closer. "I heard what he said, but I'm sure you'll be able to perform the duties that I would require of you." The meaning of the words was clear as he licked his lips. It seemed as if the man was oblivious to the steady anger growing in the blond, causing red to bloom along his pale skin. "You said you really needed the job," he continued.

Robs eyes had widened as he noticed the man's prey had slowly shifted, and he could see the beginning of what could only be a wand.

'Oh shit,' he thought and looked around the park. None of the muggles seemed to be paying attention, but he couldn't let the blond attack the man here in broad daylight.

He had hurried over and stuck his arm out, separating the two, resting his other hand on the bench backrest. "He doesn't need a job, he already has one. He's not interested in any offer that you have, so please leave."

"Who are you?" the man said questioningly.

"He's my model." Rob lifted the camera in his hands. "He works for me, so you can go." The tone of his voice left no room for argument.

The businessman had looked him over, trying to evaluate his chances at besting him, but thought better of attempting anything with the 6-foot-tall man. With one last look behind the blond's new protector, he called out, "You know where you can find me for a good time and great pay!"

Rob had then turned quickly to stop whatever retribution the man behind me had in mind.

"I can take care of myself," the blond said venomously.

"I'm sure you can; I saw you reaching for your wand. Don't you realize you're surrounded by muggles! You can't just use magic out in the open in muggle territory! Do you want the Ministry to come down on you?"

He noticed the young man's shoulders tense and started again. "Look, I don't' mean to chastise you but you have to be careful about these things." He approached the blond cautiously

"What do you want?" the young man said belligerently.

"I know I said it to get that guy to go away, but I am looking for someone to work for me. My name's Robert Johnson, but you can call me Rob." He extended his hand and almost withdrew it when it wasn't shaken right away.

"Draco Malfoy."

"Nice to meet you, Draco. Would you be interested?"

"What would I have to do?"

"Model, you know let me take pictures of you…" Rob held his arms up in response to Draco's wand second appearance. "Decent pictures! Not that kind! Well, sometimes a little racy," he felt the wand poke at his side again. "It's not like that; muggles are really into fashion and they pay to have attractive people wear their clothes. That's all it is. You'd be photographed in their clothing and it pays well," he finished in a hurry. "Here's my card. If you're interested just call me," he extended the card, "and please put that wand away!"

Draco accepted the card and stood up with a final poke to Rob's ribs with his wand.

"I will not hesitate to emasculate you should you this be a ploy to draw me into something perverse."

With that promise, he turned and walked away.

"Rob!"

"Rob!" his name came again and he snapped out of his reverie.

His assistant was waving her hand in front of his face trying to catch his attention. "Hurry! We need to get the shots from today ready."

He grabbed his equipment bag and hurried to the door, not surprised to see the robe where Draco had dropped it. Draco still was that same high maintenance little brat he'd met in the park, but he was a genuinely interesting person to be around- when the mood swing permitted it, that is. He wondered if that's what had driven the blond's lover to leave?


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: Again, I want to thank NoScrubs for being the Beta for this fic

Chapter three is already written just waiting for its final approval

A big thanks to those who reviewed it really helps to know what people think (and that anyone is reading at all)

* * *

Chapter Two

"_Baby, wake up." Draco felt a hand creeping up his thigh, accompanying the soft demand. _

_He groaned and tried to inch away from the hand._

"_Stop it. Harry. I'm tired." _

"_I don't see how. I did all the work. All you did was lay there and probably think of England." _

"_What!" Draco pushed Harry on his back and sat astride him. "I am an extremely sensual being Harry!" _

"_I am the most passionate person you'll ever meet. Not that there will be anyone else for you, mind you. But you're not missing anything. Are you thinking about that red-headed hussy?" _

_He punctuated the statements with fervent kisses to that spot behind Harry's ear, fully exploiting the brunet's weakness. _

_Harry leaned back and smiled smugly. He knew the best ways to get his love worked up and taking control of their lovemaking. _

_The Slytherin pealed back the sheet and uncovered Harry's lap so they could touch and feel the heat from each other's skin. Grabbing Harry's face in his hands, he started kissing every crevice of his mouth, marking them with his tongue possessively. Draco felt the brunet's calloused his hands running up his sides, initiating a rocking motion as their cocks met and rubbed together, the pre-cum easing the contact. He was stretched from their previous coupling and didn't need much preparation as he used his own fingers. He reached behind him and grabbed the eager cock slowly sinking onto it until he came to rest on Harry's thighs. _

"_I know you're passionate, love, and only for me. Mine." the promise was sealed with Harry's lips at his throat as he sucked the side of his neck. _

"Damn, him."

Draco woke up with an erection that he refused to take care of. His impulses were what had gotten him in this situation to begin with.

They had been together since the beginning of sixth year and after months of kissing and fooling around, Harry had been surprised to find out that Draco was a virgin. Harry had relinquished that particular title after a brief encounter with Ginny at the end of fifth year.

In Draco's defense, he had been raised to believe he was too dignified to be sullied by a common tart looking for an easy time. The Gryffindor was the only person that had touched him and opened his life to a new perspective that was not chosen for him.

He dragged himself to the bathroom, sluggishly grabbing the necessary supplies for his bath. He turned on the cold water and shed his pajama shirt.

He hated to think about Him, but it was getting harder not to. The golden boy had disappeared about four months ago, leaving Draco to wake up in his flat alone, every trace of the brunet gone. He never entertained the notion of someone taking Him against his will, because even the pictures of Him were gone, as if there time together never existed. Draco had raged and broke everything he could get his hands on, but made no move to try to find Him. He was thankful that He hadn't left any money on their night table as a payment for their nights of intimacy.

He wanted to put it all behind him, forget His touch, the way the light would glint of His glasses when he would incline His head at him, but found out how impossible it would be to erase all traces of Him four weeks later.

_He had been feeling under the weather for the last week or so, and finally he had decided to visit Madame Pomfrey. Although it was public knowledge he was on the "good side" of the war, he still didn't feel accepted by members of the magical community. _

"_Come in, Draco," the mediwitch called and indicated the bed behind a screen. He scooted back into a comfortable position and waited for her to begin her examination. _

"_How have you been?" She asked tentatively. "I heard about the Ministry freezing your accounts." _

"_I'm fine. Those fools at the Ministry are just doing this because they can't throw me in Azkaban. I guess it's not enough that Mother killed herself or that dear old dad died alongside of Voldemort. They want all of the Malfoys to pay" Poppy opened her mouth but Draco interrupted her. "I don't want to talk about Him. I don't need your pity" _

"_It's concern, Draco, not pity. You're not the only he left behind, but Harry was your lover. We're just concerned about you, that's all. Nobody has seen you leave your apartment, and Hermione says you don't respond to her mail and that you've blocked anyone access to your apartment." _

"_I was nothing to Him. He made that clear when he left and I don't see a reason to talk with Granger." _

"_Granger-Weasley," she reminded him._

_He didn't correct himself, just looked up at her. "What's wrong with me?" he said, changing the subject as he was done with the conversation. _

_Poppy pursed her lips. " Nothing yet, but let me finish running a few diagnostic spells." She pocketed her wand as she made notes on a notepad. "Ok, this will be the last one." _

_The mediwitch ran her wand tip from the tip slowly down the length of his body. When her wand grazed his abdomen, she was shocked to see it turn a vibrant blue. She glanced up quickly at her patient, but he wasn't paying attention. The mediwitch whispered another spell and checked the area again only to get the same result. _

"_So?" _

"_Draco, you're fine." She hesitated. "You're just four weeks pregnant." _

"_What?" The question was bit out through clenched teeth. _

"_You're pregnant." _

"_No… impossible. This thing is defective! " He grabbed her wand. "Now get a quality instrument instead of this rubbish and tell me what's really wrong!" _

_She fought his grasp on her wand. "Mr. Malfoy, I understand it's a shock, but I am a licensed professional and I've checked twice. You're expecting- that's why you've been fighting fatigue" _

"_That bastard!" Poppy stepped back at the exclamation. Draco stood up and started pacing. "He leaves in the dead of the night, no explanation, 'no I'm sorry. I'm moving on'! But he leaves me this!" His head spun towards her. "Four weeks? Four weeks to the day?" _

"_Yes." She attempted to place a calming hand on his shoulder and lead him back to the bed, but he would have none of it._

_His pacing increased until he uttered, "That last night." That soft murmur seemed to drain the anger from him as he sat resigned on the bed. _

_The older woman knew there was no platitude that would make him feel better or calm him. She went into the cabinet and picked up some documents she had not given out in more than a decade. _

"_Here are some things you can look over; they'll explain everything. If you have any questions, please, Draco, don't hesitate to come see me." She started leaving the room to give him time to adjust on his own. _

"_Don't tell anyone," He called to her before she could disappear._

"_I wouldn't." _

"_No one. Not Weasley or his wife. I can deal with this alone."_

'I still can,' he reassured himself as he finished soaping his body, spending extra care on his abdomen with his washcloth. He rubbed softly along his flat abdomen, which wasn't as concave as it used to be. He had felt so uncomfortable at the shoot. No one noticed a difference, but he knew a change was there.

According to the books he'd read on the subject, he was supposed to start gaining a pound a week. Poppy had warned him that it might be more because he was underweight to begin with. 'Underweight,' he remembered scoffing. 'I'm naturally lean, but not for much longer…' he trailed off.

He didn't know how long he could keep working and it worried him. He didn't have to pay for room and board for now as the agency paid his hotel expenses as they moved around. It helped him save more of his earnings and he planned to move back to his flat, which, thank Merlin, was paid for before his money problems.

Once he grew too big, he would have to leave his job as he had learned muggle men didn't conceive. He hoped that his saved earnings would be enough to sustain him and his baby as the pregnancy went on.

"I'm trying to do the best I can for you, please believe me," he whispered with one last caress." I know that Ha..He's not here but I'll be all you need."

He dried himself off and wondered how things had gotten so bad that the brunet had become his own personal You-Know-Who. A name he didn't want to utter for all the sad emotions it invoked.


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: Thanks for the reviews , I hope you guys enjoy this update, I know that Harry has a lot of explaining but he's working on it promise .

* * *

Hermione stirred her tea absentmindedly. The sound of Ron washing the dishes accompanied the rustling of papers as she rifled though them. Reforms and appeals were all pushed aside as she lightly fingered the parchment. Slightly worn from the constant perusal and written on official Gringotts letterhead was the final missive Harry had left. 

She read it out of habit, having memorized its contents after the first 20 times she had read it.

_I, Harry James Potter, approve a monthly stipend of 1500 galleons directly into the account created solely for the use of one Draco Malfoy. This arrangement will continue unless it is cancelled. In the event of the death of Harry James Potter, all the funds from the primary account will be emptied into the secondary one in a final transfer. _

It was dated and stamped the morning they'd last seen him. He'd taken the day off from work and they all had assumed he would accompany his boyfriend to the final trial before the decision regarding the latter's fortune. It was only when she returned to work that she found out, along with the rest of their department, Harry had no intention of returning.

With a sigh, she spread out the other documents in what Ron had dubbed her 'Stalking Harry' folder. "Hermione, if he wasn't our best mate, I'd really wonder about all this," the red head announced as he sat down at the table.

"I need to know why; it just doesn't make any sense. He had a promising career and a boyfriend he loved," she continued, ignoring Ron's choked murmur about ferrets. "He was settling down; there's no reason for him to just disappear."

"It's Harry. He was practically married to that snake; nothing he did for a while made sense," Ron sat across from her, biting into a blueberry muffin, not pausing to chew

"Chew with your mouth closed, Ronald," she automatically replied, not bothering to look up from the notes that had compiled on their missing friend. The red head's comment brought back the original reason for her troubled thoughts that evening: the tow-headed Slytherin was refusing to have any contact with her- or any one else in the Order for that matter. Reaching over, Hermione grabbed the letter from the stack in front of her and ran her thumb over the bank seal's raised lettering.

"You sent him a notice; that's all you had to do, Hermione. I wish you would stop looking at that."

"I'm sure he hasn't read it."

"That's not your problem. Harry was stark raving mad when he came up with that idea any way. All those galleons a month! Malfoy won't have to work a day in his life- just like he always planned to!"

"Ron, you can't hate him for being privileged." he looked at her incredulously.

"He used to call you Mudblood! I have more than enough reasons to hate him!" He didn't attempt to calm his growing anger as he tore his third muffin with his fingers.

"He used to Ron. Once he and Harry came clean about their relationship, he referred to me as 'Granger'. We've been over this, Ron. You can't hate him for taking Harry from your sister; he was never hers anyway. You can't hate him anymore for all that pureblood tripe he talked- he didn't know any better. We were kids then, Ron. He learned what those prejudices really lead to. You saw how he would get sick when we brought war victims. He could barely stand up long enough to take orders from Poppy that first time!"

"He grew out of that quickly enough," Ron retorted.

"Ron, can you really grow out of that? He just learned to disguise it better."

Eyeing the scattered crumbs on their tabletop, she looked up earnestly at the red head, pleading with her eyes for him to understand.

"Ron," she began softly, "this was important to Harry. He could just as easily had the solicitor give this to Draco. He wanted us to deliver this to him, probably to give us a chance to offer him our support. He was always surrounded by money, but now the Ministry has been trying to break him by pulling every archaic rule, stalling down the proceedings as long as they can. He doesn't know about Harry leaving him the money. How has he been supporting himself these months?"

"By being the first Malfoy in history to get a decent job," Ron said dryly.

Hermione just laughed. It seemed that some of what she said had gotten through to him as he calmed down. "Doing what, Ron? It isn't likely he'd find a job with the Ministry seeing as how that would be a conflict of interest, and I can hardly see him working at a shop in Diagon Alley. He's not really qualified. What kind of job could he possibly get?"

Ron tried to think of all the options that the blond had. Without the Ministry or his money, all he had was himself. Begrudgingly he admitted that the pale man was attractive, if one liked high maintenance whiners. Suddenly, Ron had an image of a nude Draco covered only by a thin sheet on a bed in some sleazy motel room, grasping the fabric to his chest as a man left the room, tossing some Knuts on the bed. Then the image shifted to another where he only saw the back of that distinctive blond head, level with the crotch of some unknown man in an dark alley way.

"Hermione? You don't think that he'd get roped into some type of rough trade do you?" he whispered, with an intense look on his face.

"We're going to have to limit your television intake." She interrupted whatever platitude he was going make for that comment. "I'm not even going to ask how you know that term, but I'm sure that Draco is not working as a prostitute. He has far too much pride." The witch tapped her finger on her chin and said, almost to herself, "Besides, I remember Harry mentioning that Draco was extremely particular and wouldn't allow anyone to touch him. It seemed to please Harry that he was Draco's first and only."

"Uggh! Hermione! No more! Too much information!"

"Grow up, Ron. I've been thinking about his options. He wouldn't work with Poppy because we go back and forth from the Ministry to Hogwarts and he wouldn't want to see us." She didn't hear his retort of 'I wouldn't want to see him either.' "And she already has Severus to ship her medicinal potions. I guess he could make potions for private apothecaries…" she trailed off, resuming her notes in the "Harry" notebook she kept.

Ron looked at his wife and shook his head, knowing it would be a while before she would come to bed. It was times like these he would remember the bushy hair that would stick out from the tops of old texts that were the width of her torso, the nights she would spend reading forward in their textbooks, and, later, researching for the war. He accepted her distracted kiss goodnight and made his way up the stairs.

So much had changed during their final years at Hogwarts, and the war had changed everything. It had all began with the suicide of Malfoy's mother; she had chosen to die rather than be used as a tool to force her only son to do the Dark Lord's bidding. Harry seemed to have grown obsessed with the blond. He had even taken to following the pale boy everywhere he went. Harry would disappear at odd hours of the day. Ron thought he was sneaking off to pulverize the git in private, but now he cringed to think of what they had probably been doing.

Deciding he'd had enough disturbing thoughts for the night, Ron changed into his nightclothes and went to sleep, leaving the lamp on for when his wife finally came to bed.

Downstairs, Hermione stared at two pictures side by side; she liked to think of them as before and after. In one, she, Harry, and Ron stood at the second year leaving fest, caught on camera by Colin. Their eyes were wide with childishenthusiasm and the accomplishment of the school year that had just passed. The other held their seventeen-year-old selves with a noticeable addition. The innocent fullness of youth had faded, slimming into the more adult lines that graced their faces today. Their eyes were haunted by the horrors they'd experienced, but the smiles on their lips were genuine as they stood next to their best mates. She looked at Ron, who had finally stopped growing at 6 foot three. Even Harry had shot up surprisingly between the summer of sixth and seventh year to a respectable 6 feet. Her own smooth haired self smiled back at her as she glanced over picture to focus on herself.

The blond really was photogenic; he stood on the left side of the picture next to Harry. His head only came around Harry shoulder, the leanness of his body complimenting Harry's stockier one. The picture made such an impact on her because she knew that Draco had been facing the photographer at the time of the photo with no expression on his face, but since its development, picture Draco had turned to Harry with a breathtaking smile on his face. Picture Harry would respond with his own besotted smile and pull Draco closer to his body.

Hermione may not have been privy to many of the facts of their lives together, but sometimes she wondered how Harry had found the time to fall into love with their former enemy. Those details were made unimportant in light of this picture, which defied the laws of magic as she knew them and proved their love for one another was sincere. It intrigued her and she was famous for being the type of witch that needed to explain the unexplainable. Harry had waited his whole life to have a love of his own, but his departure was a mystery. She was determined to get to the bottom of. In the meantime, she had to follow through with the unspoken request her best friend had trusted her with.

Draco had barred her from his house, but he couldn't stop her from seeing him elsewhere and accepting her help. It was about time that she extended a sincere offer at friendship….


	4. Chapter 4

**Author: **Chibidraco  
**Betaed by:** NoScrubs12345  
**Disclaimer:**I dont own Harry Potter and am making no profit from this.The brief description of DG Spring 2007 collection really exist and belongs to Dolce & Gabbana  
**Summary:** Harry Potter has left for the muggle world a year after he defeats Voldemort. Draco Malfoy struggles to make a life for himself as he has to  
find employment, while dealing with the biological present that Harry left behind. (My memory is purposely selective when it comes to HBP)

Please Review

* * *

The agency had selected models to represent the Dolce & Gabbana spring collection. Draco, happy for his last well paying assignment, found himself in a sea of pretty faces and half naked bodies as he strolled mindlessly down a "runway," cameras flashing in his face. Muggles were so odd, he thought; he couldn't imagine them wearing any of the styles he'd seen so far. He glanced at his apparel and admitted he would never wear it on the street either no matter how well it complimented him. It was more suited for the bedroom, acting out some long desired fantasy… maybe something involving Native Americans. 

A long sleeve brown suede jacket with crisscross design on its sleeves was all that adorned his torso, and the material fell down to his waist. The bottom was not much better: he wore matching briefs and a leather band that hung around the ankle of one of his bare feet. Most of the clothing fell in that theme. One pair of shorts he wore said Apache across the crotch, which Robert had explained was a tribe of Native Americans.

After being covered in concealing robes for the majority of his life, the change to Muggle clothing had been a bit disorienting at first. With time, he'd grown to love the designer clothing sold at the exclusive muggle stores, especially Armani.

If there was one thing that had been familiar was the atmosphere about the modeling industry, it was that the people were calculating, widely smiling and congratulating you on your success while silently wishing you would succumb to some horrible addiction.

He surprised himself a little when he didn't partake in the power plays or try to establish himself within them. For once in his life, even if in this miniscule thing, he felt confident enough with himself that it seemed unnecessary. He remembered when it had all changed, those years before in Hogwarts.

_**Sixth Year –Hogwarts **_

_He had never regretted being a Slytherin until he returned to school after his mother's self-inflicted demise. His emotions were heightened, and for the first time in his life, he felt completely alone. Previously satisfied to let his father tailor what felt like his own skin, he suddenly realized how out of place he felt in this creation of the prodigal son. There was no one that he could turn to; people with their own agendas and ambitions surrounded him. _

_Even Severus had imparted the news of his mother's death with a sense of detachment. He was very business when he addressed Draco on the train ride to Hogwarts. _

"_Wipe, your face Mr. Malfoy. You're a Slytherin. Now is not the time for you to blubber like a child," He sneered. "Your time for theatrics has ceased, the only person who would have been moved by the act is dead." _

_The bottom of the flaring hemline was the last he had seen of Snape. He refused to look up from the sight of tears falling on clenched hands._

_The first encounter with his housemates after the news spread had been much worse. In the most difficult moment of his life, he learned he would receive no genuine sympathy. His father was in Azkaban and his standing in their den was wavering He struggled to maintain his composure._

"_Nott says he wants an answer," Gregory said as he sat on Draco's four-poster bed._

"_What are we going to do, Draco?" Vincent added._

'_How can I tell you what to do when I don't even know myself?' he thought._

_His mother's message had been clear: she had no intention of letting him involve himself with a mission from the Dark Lord. Could he trust them enough to tell them of his uncertainty? The silence that awaited his response was broken unexpectedly._

"_I think you should do what your mother wanted. Sometimes I think we go about things the wrong way because we don't know any different." _

_Draco was surprised by Vincent's comment;he had never bothered to offer an opinion before. _

"_Draco, your mother was a Slytherin, and the wife of the Dark Lord's right hand man. If she couldn't find another way to get what she wanted, what chance do we have? She chose the option that would help you survive- I think we should follow it." Vincent seemed apprehensive of Draco's reaction but firm in his position._

_Draco looked to Gregory who nodded his agreement._

It was the first of many conversations that had begun to change Draco's world. His mother's almost Gryffindor actions and his "bodyguards" willingness to follow his direction like Hufflepuffs all served to chip away the foundation his father had laid.

The expecting wizard was growing sappy and melancholy at the recollections and he blamed it all on the little witch or wizard cultivating in his belly, who demanded chocolate confections at the most inopportune moments. Fortunately for the both of them, their father was a very resourceful person.

In no time at all, he sat enjoying the treat he'd cajoled Robert into smuggling in for him. Silver glinted off the spoon as it made a downward stroke, greedily gathering up as much vanilla covered brownie as it could carry. Another pair of eyes followed its final destination past those naturally rose lips into the warm cradle of his mouth. Her whimper accompanied his satisfied moan as he licked the spoon clean.

The owner of the sound of distress was brunette by the name of Mary Anne. Her blue eyes continued following his movements, unaware another woman was focused on her expression. Draco could only describe the pair as the wholesome girl next door and a redheaded femme fatale. The latter was named Lisette.

"Don't even look at it look at it, Mary Anne," the willowy redhead chided, her hands on her hips and eyeing the brunette's hourglass figure. "It's hard enough for the designers to find clothes for you, don't you think?"

Her words were an obvious taunt at an earlier problem with the fitting of the Mary's clothing. Draco knew Mary had been discovered in a flower shop, and thought it best that she wilted as quickly as her former charges.

Lisette turned to him with her red lips stretched into a coy smile.

"You shouldn't eat that either, Draco. You wouldn't want to ruin your pretty complexion." Her brown eyes ran slowly over his skimpy outfit. "If you must eat, there's cottage cheese and fruit dips over there. " She indicated a table at the opposite side of the room with a red-clawed finger.

She got points for being catty, but she had nothing on Pansy or the other Slytherin's, Draco conceded. "I appreciate the advice," his phony smile indicated how indebted he felt, "but I wont have an issue fitting in any attire, and unlike yourself, I don't need to gorge in secret and top of my meals with my finger down my throat."

Mary gasped and Lisette turned toward her, cringing at the look of horror on the plump model's face. Lisette's glare made threats even if her lips didn't. Draco watched indifferently as she disappeared from sight.

"Draco," Mary asked tentatively, "is that true?"

"No, it's not," a voice interjected. Draco dropped his head back over the top of the chair to look at the owner of the denial.

"She didn't deny it, Robert."

"Probably because she was too indignant to reply, Draco. Mary, please go find her and get ready. You guys go on in ten."

"I think she does," Draco whispered loudly to Mary as she hurried in the direction the bitchy model had gone.

"Draco, if I remember correctly, you were the one throwing up in the bathroom this morning," Rob said in a teasing tone while sitting in the recently vacated chair next to Draco.

The blonde glared at him for the reminder. "You wouldn't remember if there was a place to hide my wand in this thing, would you? One quick swish…a little Obliviate…" he trailed off with a devious smile on his face.

"I may be a muggle, but I know enough from my brother not to let an angry wizard point a wand at me. Why are you dressed already?"

The blond shrugged. "Because I didn't want to wear the loincloth, and it was either me or Fionn for the two pieces. So I chose first."

"You're something else. Besides satisfied for tormenting poor Fionn, how are you feeling? You sounded pretty miserable before; should you really be eating this?"

"I'll have my wand back at some point, you know. My morning meal didn't sit well that's all; it's not uncommon for people in my condition."

"Ok, I promise not to mention the incident again no need for threats. Your condition," he repeated, "of all the things that my brother told me about the wizarding world, _that_ stuck out the most. Men having babies without women…." He shook his head with a rueful smile. "So do you need to take some potion? Chant under some tree during the witching hour?"

"No, you fool, it's happens naturally," Draco retorted.

"So you can have the same surprise pregnancies as hetero couples?" he cringed after the words left his mouth and Draco's face lost the easy going smile.

Draco slowly laid his empty dish gently on the table behind them and stood up. "Thank you for everything, Robert. I wont be seeing you later because I'm leaving right after." Draco extended a hand to him like the man had extended his those months ago. "It was a little a perverted, but I wont hex your bits off."

With one last firm shake, he turned to leave

"Draco?"

"Yes?"

"Keep in touch. I'll look for something for you if you need to work again."

Draco nodded and left him with a genuine smile.

x x x x

The neighbours had grown nervous. The new tenant had seemed nice enough when he moved in, but he never left his flat. The only time the young man would leave was for groceries, and then he would come out of the house with a high collared jacket hiding most of his face, his hair an uncontrollable mess. His appearance was not the worst of their concerns, nor was his apparent desire to be a recluse. It was the screams that they had heard from his flat the night he moved in that peaked their concern.

The wails had been so painful that, out of concern, the police were called, but they said he had only been dreaming. What kind of dreams could elicit such horrible sounds? Since that night, nothing could be heard from his flat at all, and truth be told, it was hard to remember someone lived there. It was unsettling- a young man should have been filling their block with loud rock music and an obnoxious car whose engine sounded like a gunshot when it backfired, but not a sound could be heard.


	5. Chapter 5

Disclaimer: Harry Potter and all related characters do not belong to me.

Thanks like always to my beta NoScrubs12345

Please Read and Review

* * *

Ron stepped out of the fireplace and shook out his robes, trying to get the soot out of the fabric. 

'If that ponce was here he would give me that superior look, because damned if the blond came out looking pristine after traveling through the fireplace,' he thought. 'Dammit, now she's got me thinking about him, too.' He threw his suitcase carelessly on the sofa as he went toward the kitchen, certain he would find his wife inside.

"Hi," she said and accepted the kiss he gave in greeting. "Put your suitcase away and take out the trash, please."

"How do you know I didn't already?" At her knowing look he sighed and went to do as she asked.

She reminded him so much of his mother sometimes; they were both really strong headed women who pretty much wanted their way. Both women had claimed the kitchen space as their own and ran in the way they desired. The differences between them were obvious: Hermione had traded mum's wireless for her laptop and a smell of musty papers replaced the mouth-watering scents of his mothers' kitchen.

Regardless of sacrificing his stomach, he had to thank Merlin that he was married to this incredible woman. He'd thought he had ruined his chances with her after the debacle with Lavender.

"That's it! I can't believe I didn't think of it before; it's so simple!"

"What's so simple?" the red head asked as he checked on the slowly simmering pot roast.

"I need you to do something for me, Ron."

"Huh?" he dipped a fork into the pot, trying to preview a dinner that seemed so far away.

"I've spent so long relying on magic that it's only too easy to forget the solution can be very basic."

Ron felt a little nervous at the determined glint in his wife's eyes.

* * *

20 Minutes Later

"Why are you in fatigues?"

"Fatigues?"

"What you're wearing, Ron. They're called fatigues, and why do you have camouflage paint on?"

"For the research," was his casual reply.

"Ron, when did I ever ask you to dress that way for research?"

"Mione, you're not sending me to the library. You're making me stay overnight in the bushes in front of Harry's flat. Let me keep a bit of my dignity, will you? This way no one will recognize me. I'll be hidden."

She didn't have the heart to tell him that the additions did nothing to distract from the identifying scarlet of his hair.

"I'm not doing this to torture you, Ron. You understand that, right ?"

"Yeah, yeah," he mumbled.

"I couldn't set any surveillance spells to monitor Draco's coming and goings; there are wards that prevent it. I've tried every counter spell I could think of, but I think Harry was the one who set them."

He turned his back to her.

"Besides, it will be just like those spy movies you like to watch-- you could pretend you're on a stakeout."

"A stakeout?" he straightened to look at her, more enthusiastic about it now.

"You can even give yourself a code name," she replied indulgently. "Now, on your way! Take plenty of notes!" She gave him a loving kiss on the lips and saw him out."Oh and Ron, put on a hat: it'll help you disguise better."

* * *

23 hours later

"Blimey, Ron! What the bloody hell happened to you?" Dean asked as the red head collapsed onto the bar stool next to him, while motioning the bartender to bring him another round.

"What do you think?" he turned red, bloodshot eyes toward Dean.

"What's the almighty Hermione up to now?"

"She has me stalking someone, and she lied it wasn't anything like a stake out. It was cold and boring; nothing happened the entire night. My legs hurt from crouching, and some old hag tried to hex me this morning."

Between laughs Dean asked, "What ? Stalking? A stake out? What time did you get home? And who are you stalking exactly?"

Ron ordered a drink. "I never got home, went straight to work. Hermione had a change of robes for me when I got there. I didn't even get to bathe."

"That would explain the green paint on your cheek."

Ron rubbed at his cheek. "She has me watching Harry's place for signs of Malfoy, but some crazy woman thought I was watching her so she tried to attack me. Let's not talk about it anymore. I still have to go home and tell her I didn't find anything out."

"Sorry, mate. You sound like you had a horrible night with your reconnaissance mission." He laughed again at Ron's disgruntled look.

"Look at this-- I don't know if it will cheer you up, but this has been the highlight of my day." He slid something across the counter closer to Ron.

"Malfoy!" Ron sputtered, spilling some beer onto his hand.

"Looks just like him, doesn't it?" Dean nodded understandingly at Ron's surprised expression.

The glossy shot captured a candid melancholy pose of a blond man with those notable gray eyes.

"This isn't Malfoy, is it?" Ron asked unbelievingly, taping the photo.

"Well, this was the only info that Rob gave me." He flipped the photo over.

Dean ,

I've worked with him for a while now. Let me know if you're still looking for a model. I think he'd be great!

- Rob

"Rob? That muggle photographer you work with sometimes?"

"Yeah, he knew that I was looking for someone for my new project, so he sent this recommendation."

"He sent you Draco bloody Malfoy!"

"Well, Ron, aesthetically at least, the prat is a great specimen, but it can't be our Malfoy."

"Why not? I'd recognize that face anywhere!" Ron insisted.

"Because, Ron, I'm doing pieces on expecting parents and last I knew, Draco Malfoy wasn't pregnant."

Ron gaped at him, thoughts running through his mind faster than he thought possible. Malfoy pregnant? No, it couldn't be him. Is that why Harry left? What was going on? It would explain why they hadn't seen Malfoy in the Wizarding world. It was also something the Malfoy could actually do: stand there and look pretty.

Ron lifted his head quickly. "Dean, how could you contact him?"

* * *

30 minutes later

The cell phone rang for the eight time; it didn't seem like the person was going to give up any time soon. Rob rubbed his eyes exasperatedly; he'd been working on editing photos all night and wanted nothing more than to fall asleep.

"Fine, fine! I'm coming," he said aloud in the empty room.

"Hello?" he managed to drag out a greeting.

"Hello Mr. Johnson. I apologize for bothering you so late, but my name is Hermione Granger-Weasley. I'm a friend of Dean Thomas's and I'm calling about the picture of pale blond young man that you sent him." Her introductions were rushed.

"I don't mean to be rude Mrs. Weasley, but I just finished a really tiring day. Could we maybe talk about this tomorrow?"

"No! Please! "

His head recoiled in surprise to the passionate disagreement. He stared at the cell phone wondering if he should hang up.

"I'm sorry for yelling, but it's very important. Please? Just a moment?"

He resigned himself to staying awake a while longer; the urgency in her voice called to him.

"Ok, how can I help you?" he said as he lay back down.

"Thank you. I just needed to know about the man in the photo: is his name Draco Malfoy?"

He closed his eyes. 'Great…. I woke for this?' "Yes, it is. Were you interested?"

"Yes, I've been looking for him. He's my best friend's boyfriend and it's imperative that I get in touch with him."

This made Rob sit up. 'Boyfriend?' Draco never mentioned a boyfriend… or friends of any kind for that matter.

"Ask him if the ferret is really pregnant," he heard a loud male voice whisper on the other end of the line.

"Hush, Ron!"

He heard a moment of silence in the background as Mrs. Weasley probably chastised the other speaker. He waited for her to come back on the line.

"I'm sorry. I don't know who you are and you sound really nice, but I'm not sure how comfortable I feel discussing this with you..."

"I know that this is highly unorthodox, but I went to school with him. I'm not trying to stalk him." He heard a muffled laugh in the background followed be a soft cry of pain. She continued earnestly: "Harry went missing a couple of months ago and he left me something for Draco. I need to make sure he's okay; he's never been to the Muggle world alone before and I'm concerned about how he's been making out."

Rob always considered himself a good judge of character and the young lady on the phone seemed genuinely concerned for Draco.

"He's been okay," he said finally.

"You've really worked with him?" the excitement in her voice obvious

"Yes, I actually met him when he first came to the Muggle world, and I've been working with him since."

"He's been working as a model for you? Is he…is he really pregnant?"

"Yes, that's why he can't work in the Muggle world anymore."

"I'm sorry for terrorizing you, but the time difference did not occur to me. Could I bother you for his address? I'd like to see him in person."

"It's okay. I was a little surprised to hear anyone ask for him on a personal level. He was a loner and never spoke of anyone while we worked together; I'm glad he has someone who cares about him, though. He's a nice guy."

He heard a choked response on the other line. "Yes… he is."

Clearing his throat, he said, "Well, he's actually leaving this weekend, but I have the address of the hotel he's staying at. I can give it to you if you hold on a bit…."

"Thank you! Thank you so much!"

Rob made his way to his desk and grabbed his palm pilot, searching Draco's information.

"Here, are you ready to write it down?"

* * *

A/N : I hope you like the chapter, Please let me know either way. Reviews really do fuel me to write more and quicker too wink 

Thanks to everyone who has let me know that I haven't scared you off..so far anyway. Hermione will finally come in contact with Draco in the next chapter , promise


	6. Chapter 6

Dicsclaimer: Harry Potter and all related characters do not belong to me ..blah..blah.. no profit is being made ..and all that good stuff

Thanks: NoScrubs12345 for being my Beta

A/N

Thank you so much for reviewing !

I really do appreciate the time you take to give your opinions, they maintain my good mood and urge me to write more and faster .

Reply to Anon. Reviewers :(who I can't reply to automatically)

Mari- thanks, Do you mean sell himself like rent boy sells himself? Or advertise himself for new work? Either way I agree

Veritas- Thanks for the kind words, I love rambling , as you can see I love to do the same

* * *

Chapter 6 

The hotel room was devoid of anything personal, the sheets were routinely changed, and clothing was washed and folded back in his drawers. He never saw the people responsible, but he'd learned from Robert that they were the Muggle equivalent of house elves. He had fallen in love with the large claw foot bath that reminded him the prefect bath. The bubble maker in the tub and the jets that rushed water felt great on his back as he rested against them.

He made a note to purchase one, figuring that it would feel grand when the increased weight of the baby pulled at his back muscles.

Reluctantly abandoning the cozy tub, he lifted the size larger slacks up his legs and drew the zipper and clasp closed. He then buttoned up a long-sleeved white dress shirt, and quickly threw on a waistcoat and coat on top he was ready to leave.

All of his belongings had been shrunk to fit into the one carry-on he would take aboard the plane. He had not seen Poppy since the initial diagnosis, and he wasn't sure how his body would take Flooing or taking a Port Key. For the safety of his little tag along, he decided not to risk it.

It was time to go: He needed to start preparing for the arrival of his child, and moving around would not be an option once he decided where to live. He stepped into the lift absentmindedly picking at a bit of imaginary lint on his sleeve.

He heard the tone indicating he'd reached his destination and bent to grab the bag he placed on the floor.

"Draco?" Looking ahead he saw someone he never expected to see in New York, much less the lobby of his hotel.

"Weasley?"

"Granger-Weasley," Hermione reminded him with a gentle smile he'd never seen directed towards him. He did the only thing he could think of….

One moment, she stood there with that unnerving smile; the next they were separated by the lift's metal door. He took his finger off the close button and reached out to press a floor to escape, but the door reopened too soon.

"Malfoy!" she chastised him as if she were speaking to an incorrigible toddler, glancing meaningfully at the door

"Malfunction, now excuse me."

He brushed past her and started walking toward the check-out desk, her high heeled feet tapping frantically on the marble floor as she tried to keep up.

The desk attendant smiled at him. "Mr. Malfoy, are you checking out all ready?"

"Yes."

"It's been a pleasure; I hope that your stay has been a memorable one and that you decide to stay with us again in the future."

Draco smiled tightly at the routine fawning and tried to avoid tapping his foot impatiently.

"You look well," Hermione complimented as she looked him over.

"Weasley, what are you doing here?" he said as he finally turned to look at her.

"I was looking for you. I want to talk."

"Nothing to talk about Granger." He didn't like the way she was eyeing him. He continued, "The pathetic link that may have once been between us is gone."

"Is it?" she asked looking at his abdomen. "You look great, you've put on some weight, but it looks good on you- almost blooming."

"Mr. Malfoy was even slimmer?" The desk clerk asked, rushing to reassure him when he saw Draco's face grown pale. "You still look amazing, sir!"

He ignored the clerk's desperate assurances; Hermione's words had brought his world to a halt. He flinched at her gentle nudge to his shoulder.

"Now can we talk? Now?"

He gave a stiff nod, picked up the key from the counter and walked back in the direction he'd come from.

"He's not checking out yet, thank you," Hermione informed the clerk with a smile.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to offend him," the desk clerk said. Hermione tried not to laugh at the brownnoser's plight.

"It's fine; he has a lot of things on his mind."

The clerk stared bemusedly as the pretty brunette hurried after the blond man into the lift.

x-x-x-x-x-x

'He looks gorgeous,' Hermione thought, trailing behind him as he made his way to his room. His hair was slightly longer, and her heart felt lighter since he clearly wasn't the emaciated mess she'd imagined.

He turned the key to the room and let her in the entrance with a forcibly polite "Excuse me."

She took a seat in the sitting area and waited for his return, resisting the urge to sneak a quick look at the notes she'd accumulated for this meeting.

"Ok, you've practiced and have come prepared to argue any point he could make. It'll be just like the mock meetings you practiced."

She'd been giving herself the same pep-speech since she'd noticed the pale blond head bending forward in the lift. He had only given her enough time to correct her name. His eyes had widened marginally, but otherwise he had no reaction to her presence, and then he had slammed the proverbial door in her face.

Draco patted his face with a moistened towel, needing the stalling motions rather than using a quick refreshing spell. 'She couldn't know about the baby,' he reassured himself. She'd only been commenting on the state of his physique. He had no idea how she found out where he was staying, but once he got rid of her he was disappearing for good.

He looked at himself in the mirror, carefully schooling his expression into one he'd grown intimate with.

Evening is breath, he squared his shoulders and went to face the know-it-all harpy.

He took the seat across from her on the recliner.

"So… how have you been?" He looked at her incredulously, waiting for her to make her move.

"What is this?" he asked after briefly glancing at the at the object she'd unearthed from her purse.

"A key."

"I know it's a key, Granger. Why are you giving me a key for a Gringotts vault?"

"It's yours."

"Can't be; the procedures aren't finished yet."

"It's not from the Ministry. This is the key to a vault made specially for you: the secondary account to Harry's." She noticed his flinch. "He set this up for you on the morning he left. " She pointed to the parchment beside the key. "Please read it."

"_Incendio_."

She watched it go up in flames, and quickly put it out when she thought it would scorch the table.

"Take the damn key and leave," he ground out.

"I can't do that. Harry wanted you to have it," she insisted stubbornly.

"I don't want anything to do with Him, so consider your part done. You've done what He wanted, now get out!"

"I can't do that," she insisted.

"Keep it. I'm sure the Weasel will drag you into ruin soon enough, Mudblood, and you'll need every single Knut."

Hermione ignored the comment and kept on. "He still loves you."

Draco started towards the door.

"I know about the baby and it's only a matter of time before the Ministry knows too," she rushed out in one breath.

She maintained eye contact, disregarding the wand he was pointing at her. "You know nothing. My child has nothing to do with you, and if you threaten its livelihood in any way, I _will _kill you."

He tucked his wand into the pocket of his coat and reached out to grab the doorknob.

"_Stupefy!_"

Draco's body went limp and was caught in a clumsy hold.

Hermione stared in horror at the prone form.

"Let's go, Hermione. I'm not sure how long he'll stay sleeping." The tall red head adjusted his hold on Draco and maneuvered him so he was being carried like a baby.

"He doesn't weigh anything," he commented, testing the blond's weight by jostling him up and down.

"Don't do that, Ron." She hurried to pack up the key and her purse. "Ron, why would you do that? We agreed that I would handle this."

"Hermione, you're a brilliant witch, but your kidding yourself if you think that Malfoy will sit for tea and make nice with you. This is the only way; if you really want to take Malfoy back, this is it." He shrugged his shoulders and indicated Draco's face with his chin.

Ron looked on at his wife, at the furrowing of her brow, the stiffening of her shoulders. He knew her answer.

"Ok, lay him down. First, we need to figure out a way to get him out of here."

END of Chapter

* * *

As always, please let me know what you think 

Hopefully you liked , I had to do this you understand ? because Draco was being stubborn and woudn't go quietly ...


	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Harry Potter or any other familiar characters , like many others I borrow them to play with to my hearts content. I also don't own the NBC program that is breifly mentioned- but I love to watch it.  
**  
A/N: A big thanks to those who reviewed , especially those that gave me something to think about. (Miss Lesley- I did appreciate greatly the time you took to write such an involved review). Hope you guys like .  
**

** A big thanks to my beta NoScrubs12345 (Courtney) who is so great at returning the chapters so quickly. So here it goes, throw the starving wananbe artist some crumbs will you? please review with thoughts..(and grudgingly) complaints **

* * *

_Draco woke up in darkness._

_The chill in the air exacerbated the ache in his bones. His body ached and he felt disoriented in the faint light of the torch that shone on the opposite wall. He could make out bars in front of him._

_He could hear a door opening and a draft to followed the person as they entered. He felt his face, tracing the dried tear tracks. He couldn't remember what had happened or how he had ended up there._

_A shadow darkened the doorway, and he could just make out a figure in the faint light afforded to him. _

"_Here, Malfoy, Malfoy." _

_He didn't answer the taunt from the newly identified Nott._

"_Wait until the Dark Lord gets a hold of you. It's too bad he won't let us play with you first-- you've grown so pretty." _

_Draco did not flinch as a beefy hand slithered by the bars, making grasps at him. He felt his lip curl in disgust as he dismissed Nott with the turn of his head. _

"_Still feeling so damn high and mighty are you, Malfoy?"_

"_It's not so hard. Everything is higher than your kind of filth," Draco's raspy voice answered him in defiance._

_He damned himself immediately after uttering the words. That fool Gryffindor really was rubbing off on him. _

"_I think the Dark Lord will understand that I had to smack you around a little to get you to cooperate." _

_He could hear the metal rustle of what had to be the keys and hurried to dissuade the man from entering his cell._

"_Yes, I'm sure your Dark Lord is so foolish he'd believe that you needed to subdue a prisoner that was securely behind an entrapment." _

_It made him pause for a moment. "I'll tell him you were escaping."_

"_How?" Draco fought to keep his tone belittling, not willing to let on the fear that rushed through him. "I have no wand and I can't fit through those bars. How could I possibly escape? He'll see you for the moron you are."_

_At the ominous sound of the unlocking latch, Draco inched back against the wall. _

"_I'm going to teach you a lesson, Malfoy, one your dear daddy should have taught you and your mother."_

_Draco clenched his fists, preparing to kick the miscreant in the bollocks as soon as he got close enough. If anything, he would tear out the man's jugular with his own teeth. _

_He heard him get closer,_ _preparing himself for the attack, when suddenly the looming figure fell forward, forcing Draco to abandon his corner as he maneuvered to the left._

_There was someone else in the cell with them! They had stopped Nott from attacking, but it didn't mean he was any safer; they might want the 'pleasure' of hurting him themselves. _

"_Hurry, we don't have an-an-anny… any time!" The stuttering voice was unfamiliar to him and was accompanied by a shaking hand. "Come on," the person urged. "Please! We need to get out of here!"_

Draco sprung forward, leaving the restless sleep to collide with reality. He curled into himself, sweeping his hair back off his sweaty forehead. He was wrapped in soft pink covers with lace trim. The room was small, barely furnished, with plain white walls and a small night table.

He could see hints of sunlight held back by curtains on the large windows. The place was dark, but nowhere near as dark as that dungeon had been.

He wondered what had triggered the memory of his capture and subsequent escape. It was the feeling of confinement, that horrible realization of waking up in a cage with no hope of escaping that haunted him.

He remembered seeing Granger in the lobby of his hotel, arguing about the unwanted key, his final words to her, and then nothing but darkness. Someone had hexed him!

It couldn't have been Granger-- she wasn't one to attack from behind. That meant her large buffoon of a husband had to have been in cahoots with her.

He threw back the sheets, noticing he was still in the same clothing from before. His stocking feet met the cold floor as he slowly got out of the bed. He realized that they must have taken him to their home, when he spotted the Griffindor couple waving from inside the picture frame that hung from the wall. Grabbing the lamp on the night table, he unplugged it quickly and approached the door silently. He reached for the knob just as he had at the hotel, only this time he was prepared, holding his makeshift weapon over his head.

"Wait."

His hand obeyed the request even as it was directed to someone on the other side of the door.

"I have to check on him. He's been unconscious for an entire day. We need to ask him how he feels and make sure the baby's ok."

Draco splayed his fingers across his belly in fright as he tightened his grip on the lamp, his murderous gaze pointed at the closed door.

"Poppy said they were fine. He's just a little run down and his body is making him get the rest he needs. I told you-- I did exactly as she said: swish then flick and avoid the stomach. I asked before we left for the United States."

If the answer had not been so relieving, Draco would have rolled his eyes at the boasting manner with which the man assured the woman on the other side of the door of his foresight.

He lowered the lamp it as he continued to listen to their conversation.

"I-- " he stepped back.

The door opened, and the couple gasped in unison.

Ron fell to the ground, the remnants of the broken lamp littering the floor by his head.

* * *

Martin knew he shouldn't have gone to work today. 

"Why didn't you check sooner, Martin!"

"I don't know. I didn't notice how the time passed. Next thing I knew it was night and I hadn't seen him check out."

"So help me, if something happens to that pretty boy, our hotel will be ruined!"

Martin only stared at the blotchy red face of his superior, comparing it to that of the crab on that SpongeBob show his little brother sometimes watched. His wild gestures were full of rage as he imagined all the guests that would check out in horror when they learned of the missing male model.

Martin had last seen Draco Malfoy that morning. The blond had been in the process of checking out when he'd been interrupted by a young woman. He knew for certain they had gotten into the elevator and gone to his room, but the security tapes showed no activity after that.

"No, no everything is fine. Please stay a little longer. Consider it complimentary," Martin's supervisor assured a flustered guest. From the look his boss gave him, Martin just knew that was coming out of his check.

Yup, he definitely should have not come to work.

* * *

"Ron, get away from the set. You might have a concussion." 

Ron held the icepack to his head with one hand as his finger pushed the channel button frantically.

"No, _Heroes_ is coming on. We pay a lot to get this channel, and I'll be damned if Malfoy makes me miss it," he agued stubbornly from his seat on the couch.

Hermione sighed in frustration.

"I thought Gryffindors were supposed to be chivalrous and all that rot. Imprisoning a helpless man and keeping him hostage? I don't think I agree."

"Be quiet, Malfoy. I can't think," Hermione pleaded quietly.

"Helpless?! you nearly took my head off!" Ron roared, turning to look at the captive Draco.

"You could have hurt my child!" Draco lost his temper and yelled back.

"Oh, Draco, I promise your baby is alright. Ron can be an idiot, but he wouldn't harm you or your baby," Hermione reassured him with a hand on his shoulder.

Draco shrugged off her hand and looked forward toward the telly.

He was tied to a chair. The restraints were made of silk so they didn't hurt, but he was magically persuaded to stay put.

"Police are on site investigating the mysterious disappearance of an up-and-coming male supermodel tonight. He was last seen in his room at New York City's Plaza Hotel yesterday morning moments before checking out. Authorities have reason to believe he may have been taken against his will by an unknown young woman. More on this and other stories at 11," a newscaster said. The announcement was accompanied with the picture of Draco that Rob had sent to Dean the week before.

The bag Ron held fell to the floor. He watched the ice spill out across the floor, icy puddles slowly forming.

"Maybe if you let me go now, they wont throw you in muggle prison"

Draco's comment accompanied the falling ice, mocking the shocked expressions on the Weasleys' faces.


	8. Chapter 8

Discalimer: See First Chapter

A/N Thanks for the reviews on the last chapter, this one is a little shorter than usual , but I liked it so I hope you enjoy it as well

Read/Review/Complain

* * *

"_Peter!"_

_The rat faced man turned to face the fallen man with his head bowed._

"_You owe me." _

_Pettigrew began trembling, shaking his head in denial. _

"_I... If you escape ...the… the Dark Looord would…."_

_The dirty raven-haired man dragged himself into a sitting position. "I don't want you to help me. I need you to get Draco out of here. He was captured when I was. Get him out of here, and consider our debt repaid." _

"_I ...I can't." _

_Harry grabbed the hem of his robes with his good hand; the other arm hung uselessly at his side. _

"_Wormtail!" _

_Lily's eyes set in James face, pleading with him to save another. He imagined they had looked that same way when his best mate pleaded for the lives of his wife and child, and then the surviving mother for her son. _

_Now all these years later, their son lay at his feet asking not for his own survival, but that of his lover. It was all in their blood, it seemed. That bloody selflessness that marked them Gryffindors; that bravery he lacked. _

"_You owe me a Wizard's Debt. Please be an man uphold it." _

He hadn't had that dream in so long, not since he and Draco had bought their flat. The memory would dissipate at the physical confirmation that his lover was safe and unharmed in his arms.

But there was no lean figure to hold; no sweet scent of hair potion made specially by a surly Potions Master who thought it was beneath him to make; no silky, soft skin he loved to stroke like a beloved blanket before sleep overtook him. That part of his life was over. He had to stay away if he didn't want tragedy to befall Draco.

He crawled out of bed and stepped into the shower, letting the cold water sluice his body, washing away the traces of sweat from an uncomfortable sleep.

He had told no one when the dreams started-- visions that hinted at hidden seer abilities. He'd scoffed at the idea; all he needed was a new "gift" to give his still existing fan club more to gush about. It was alright at first: He wouldn't get them too often and they were easy to disregard. He would get random images of people he would see later, or snips of conversations he would have later. All easy to ignore.

He stepped away from the stream of water, reaching for the cheap shampoo he'd bought at the local cornerstore. Scrubbing hard into his scalp, he worked up the lather, trying to halt his wandering thoughts. The brunet inclined his head, using his hands to chase the soapy water from his dark locks.

Lowering his arms, he noticed his hands were tinged red from the temperature of the water. He stood transfixed at the color-- a shadow of that brilliant red that covered his hands in his nightmare.

It all came back to Draco. He had wondered why he never saw things relating to Draco in his visions. He'd seen Ron, Hermione, and some of the remaining Weasleys , but never his boyfriend. When the vision came, Harry had never regretted anything more.

It never changed and it was a vision that persisted: the blood on his hands, the pain filled expression on Draco's face, the accusation from Snape that it all had been his fault. A barrage of images that ended with Draco's motionless face.

He dried off, but made no motion to get dressed as he walked into the corner of his apartment. He opened the plain cabinet that held two bowls of liquid. Reaching for the Pensieve on the right, he brought it carefully to his chest, holding it in place with a forearm, and slowly closed the door.

He sat on the carpet, careful not to jostle any of the liquid inside. The stone felt cold on his unclothed lap, but he paid his discomfort no attention. He knew which memory he searched for: where it all really began. Where the tentative truce had been brought on by Snape's news of Draco's refusal to join Voldemort had begun to change into something more.

He leaned forward and lost himself in the memory.

The feeling of disorientation faded gradually. He was in the dungeons in a classroom he'd forced Draco into. He walked up to where his younger self stood confronting Draco.

"_Slytherins don't do selfless acts, Potter. We watch out for ourselves._ _I'm not going to join your band of do-gooders."_

"_Your mother was a Slytherin." _

"_Don't you dare speak about my mother!" he snarled. _

"_Why not? You've talked about mine. They're the same now. They both were more than willing to die to save us from the same monster." He grabbed Draco's shoulder, forcing him against the wall. "Don't you get it? You were more important to her than her own skin. Now honour her request and survive, damn you!" _

_He grabbed Draco's chin in his hand and forced the blond to look him in the eye. Draco sucked in heavy breaths as he fought against the tears that flooded to his eyes at the mention of his mother. Harry's grip slacked a bit as he dropped his chin on the top of the blond locks. _

"_All of the Slytherins are against you right now, at least those who have connections with Voldemort. There is no one there brave enough to stand up for you." _

"_You mean foolish." _

"_You always said that Gryffindors were heroically stupid. I'll protect you." _

"_I don't need your protection, Harry. I just wanted you to care enough to offer it to me. That's all I ever wanted."_

Harry reached forward, lightly tracing the lines of Draco's face. He suddenly felt unreasonably jealous of the past self who could actually feel Draco's warm skin, who leaned into to share their first kiss, who would always have this Draco, here in this moment forever.

He turned his back on them, needing to leave the memory.

"Enjoy it, because the only way you can protect him is by leaving," was his parting message to that foolish, idealistic Harry, ignoring the tears on his cheeks.

* * *

After getting dressed, Harry forced himself to go the nearest convenience store to buy the necessary items he needed. He went for the familiar aisles with the canned food and microwavable dinners, picking up his meals for the next week. He waited in line at the counter behind a woman with a small child who was demanding candy.

Whack!

The toddler had hit him over the head with something rolled up in his hand. With a glint of malice in those beady little eyes, he went to strike him again. Harry used his long unused Quidditch skills to catch the weapon.

"I'm sorry!"

He nodded, accepting the apology from the little monster's creator. He unrolled the paper and glanced over the it. His eyes caught on a face he'd recognize anywhere.

His eyes ate the words as they flew across the page. He'd become a Muggle model, a successful one, and he'd been in New York for a show, but now he was missing!

Harry dropped his purchases on top of the rack of gum and candy, and hurried out of the store. He ran back to his flat, the irregular beat of his heart in perfect harmony with the horrible thoughts that flew through his head.

There was only one thing he could do.

The resounding crack signaling Apparition rang in the now silent room.

* * *

A/N: my mindset :

We all know Harry's experience with visions/dreams, he was trying to be noble, but hes going about it the wrong way. Let me know if you thought it was rushed, but I was trying to get this feeling of urgency going, because Harry is very stubborn and I needed him to stop dragging is feet. Unfortunately when he dosent drag his feet, he leaps without thinking .. Thanks to all who reviewed! and thanks for reading this note, as you can see I owe my beta NoScrubs12345 a lot !

greeneyedcatdragon: you were right, for a moment there I thought you would give it away

lietothedevil:see, I didn't make you wait too long for the explanation of Draco's rescuer


	9. Chapter 9

Disclaimer: See first Chapter

A/N: Wow, second update tonight- I'll try to be faster I know its been a while.

Thank you all for your thoughts and notes for chapter eight - some of you are fueling my creative juices with ways to torture Harry, teling him about the baby, finding out about him through the newspaper (I know that was a little cliche, but originally thats the reason I titled this story so)

Enough Rambling

As Always, please Read/Review/Complain

Thanks to NoScrubs12345, who betead this in less than a day and a half, your wonderful

* * *

"He was a loner, not by choice you understand. He just had a horrible personality," Lisette answered the reporter.

"He's really a nice person deep down; he's just not sure how to relate to other people." Mary Anne's expression was sweet as she defended her missing co-worker. "I hope he's alright. He's a really strong person. He was always smiling," she said, outshining his smirks with a toothy flash of her own.

"Bloody Hufflepuff," Draco smiled briefly. Trust Mary Anne to defend him and Lisette to take the opportunity to bad mouth him.

He lowered the volume on the television with the remote that had been left within his reach, leaning back against the soft pillows behind him.

With the telly's sound muted, he could hear whispers from the kitchen, the haven the couple had sought once the initial broadcast had been made. If he listened hard enough, he could just make out their conversation.

X X X

* * *

Hermione was wringing out the wet towel and watching the remaining ice cubes melt under the running water. Ron stood behind her, pleading to let Draco leave.

"Hermione, I don't want to go to jail!"

"No one is going to prison, Ron."

"Last I heard, kidnapping is illegal by wizards and Muggles!"

"Then we'll go to jail, Ronald."

"What?" her husband's eyes bugged out of his face.

"I can't let him be by himself through all of this, now can I?. He gave up everything during the war, tried to make up for the generations of hatred his family sprouted against people like me, and then we never really gave him a chance!"

"What were we supposed to do. Hermione? Trust him unconditionally? There were plenty of Slytherins that wanted to kill off all muggleborns. How were we supposed to know he was being honest?"

"Because Harry believed in him, Ron. Draco's going to have a baby and he or she will grow up in a world that still cannot admit he worked to save it. They will probably credit his deeds and contributions as an unknown wizard for the light." She finished will a voice full of sadness, "He doesn't deserve that, Ron."

X X X

* * *

Draco didn't hear anymore beyond the hushed reassurances that Ron murmured to his wife. Soon after they exited the kitchen together, Granger approached him.

"You must be hungry. Was there anything in particular you wanted?" she asked him gently.

"Real smart, Granger."

'What?" she asked, not understanding the look of disgust on his face.

"As if you don't realise the walls are paper thin and sound travels in this hovel?" He turned to face her. "Acting like a concerned friend? Getting a hurting little snake to seek you out for warmth?"

"I didn't have that intention," she protested. "I just wanted to help you!"

"Taking me against my will and incarcerating me was your best idea? That's your main problem, Granger: you love for everyone to seek your guidance because you think you know it all. But that's all you've ever been! A nosy now-it-all who doesn't know when she's not needed!"

He could see tears gather in her soft brown eyes and felt guilty, but said nothing as she quietly left towards the bedroom.

He sat back against the chair, waiting for Weasley to approach him with recriminations about making his wife cry. He was surprised when all he did was sit on the couch nearest him.

"The kidnapping was my idea," the Gryffindor began.

"Of course it was. Granger has more sense than that," Draco sighed.

"Hey! She went along with it," Ron argued.

Draco lifted an eyebrow. "She probably gave in after she realised there was no other way she was getting me here." He smiled slightly in satisfaction when Ron flushed straight to his neck.

"I'm sorry."

"What?" Draco asked. "That almost sounded like an apology, Weasel, but, alas, I've already accepted the fact that people like you have to exist. It's to make people appreciate the perfection that I offer, so I forgive you for existing. It's a necessary evil."

He didn't react to the insult as Draco thought he would, but muttered again.

"You did good."

Draco's eyes widened a little bit.

"We couldn't have done it with out your help— and I'm sorry the Ministry is full of wankers that want to screw you over after all you did." Ron wasn't looking at him; he was staring distantly at a knot in the hardwood floor.

Draco was speechless. If Ron had insulted him, he could have fallen back into their routine, but the redhead's words left him shocked. 

"Thank you for helping Harry" Ron said softly but firmly with a voice that sounded suspiciously hoarse.  
Ron finally looked Draco in the eye. "You saved him when we couldn't."

The sound of alarms going off broke their gaze.

"That's the wards. Someone's coming!" Ron got to his feet and stood in front of Draco, searching for his wand while Hermione came running out of the bedroom.

The distinctive "pop" of Apparation was barely audible under the shrill alarms. 

There stood Harry, dressed in a worn looking coat and Muggle jeans.

"Ron!" he said. "Draco's missing! You have to help me find him, please!"

Ron's mouth was agape. He moved to the side, revealing the hidden captive.

"Draco!" Harry's head jerked from Ron to Hermione. "What the bloody hell are you guys doing?" 

He hurried to Draco's side, drinking in the sight of the face that haunted his dreams.

"Are you okay? What were you guys thinking? Did they hurt you? Here, I'll get you out of this."

Harry went to manually untie Draco's restraints, but Draco leaned his body as far right as he could, avoiding Harry's touch

"Just do your thing," he said quietly.

Harry moved away from him, waving his trembling hand over Draco. The restraints dropped to the floor.

Getting to his feet, Draco refused to look at the brunet.

"Draco?"

His name uttered in that pitiful voice was something he never thought he'd hear again. How dare he? The injured party was himself, not the wandering Boy-Who-Lived. The one left behind to deal with his crumbling life was him!

He could feel a pressure building in his chest, anger and anguish rolling into one reaction so tightly which didn't know which emotion was strongest. However, he could feel the result of the battle overturning his stomach.

He threw up.

All over Potter's shoes.

Harry stood shocked for a moment, surprised by the action. At Ron's disgusted exclamation he sprung into action, waving away the mess and leaning forward to make sure Draco was alright.

"Draco? Are you OK? Do you need me to call a mediwitch? Take you to St. Mungo's ?" he ran his wand over the other man's body trying to see if any superficial trauma could be found. "'Mione, please get me a cold compress from the kitchen. He doesn't have a fever but maybe—"

"Don't touch me," Draco stated stoically when Harry laid a hand on his forehead.

"But love—"

Draco couldn't believe that he would use that term of endearment; his eyes widened andglistened with unshed tears. Hermione could see them from where she stood and hurried over to help him.

"C'mon, Draco. I'll show you to the bathroom."

Draco didn't take her offered hand, but followed as she moved down a hallway he hadn't noticed before.

Harry watched Draco leave, barely noticing Ron pulling him onto the couch with him.


	10. Chapter 10

**Betaed by:** No Scrubs12345- you are amazing and have helped me through all this way, we're getting close to the end and I couldn;t be happier & sadder at the same time - Thank you!  
**Disclaimer: **I don't own Harry Potter or any other familiar characters , like many others I borrow them to play with to my hearts content.

A/N: Wow, its been a month since I updated, sorry about that hopefully this makes up for it . It took me a bit to get back into the groove, I re-read the chapters, your reviews, and thought about it. But once I got started , it just flowed. I personally like this chapter and think its become my favorite.

Please read/review/complain/throw your two cents in

* * *

Hermione led the way to the water closet, her heart beating frantically in her chest at the excitement of the last few minutes. Draco stepped into the room and, surprisingly, allowed her to remain in the open doorway. 

She watched him rinse his mouth, wetting a fresh washcloth and passing it over his pale face. Hermione thought for a moment, weighing her options. It had been reckless to uproot him and drag him to their home without his consent. She knew that she had interfered enough all ready, but the protector in her rose to his defence after the tears that Harry's proximity caused.

"Draco."

He didn't acknowledge her but she continued.

"I promise to let you go. There are no conditions tied to that, but before I do, can you please, _please_ listen if Harry explains?" she pleaded.

"No." There was no hesitation in his icy response.

"I understand you're angry, but can you really walk out of here without knowing why? Without a reason to give your child?"

"Don't you dare tell him, Granger!" he threatened.

"I won't," she assured him, "but what do you plan to say when your child asks for his father?"

"Tell him the truth-- that he was a bastard who abandoned me after professing to love me until he died. Funny, isn't it? He looked pretty alive to me." He laughed humourlessly.

Draco sat on the toilet seat, wringing the wet cloth in his shaking hands.

"But he didn't abandon the baby. He doesn't know that he's going to be a father."

"He doesn't deserve to know. He crept out in the middle of the night with no warning or so much as a bloody goodbye. The only reason he didn't technically abandon the baby was because he didn't know-- the result would have been the same".

He dug the heel of his palm in his forehead, trying to massage away the discomfort of an oncoming headache.

"Why am I still here?"

The question was soft but Hermione was able to hear it. Feeling anxious at his imminent departure, she made one last attempt:

"He's stupid, okay? I can almost guarantee you that whatever reason he has for disappearing is foolish-- that he thought it was for the best. I don't know the reasons. I would have offered them up to you long before if I did. But I do know that he's here right now-- that he ran back at the first sign you were in trouble."

"So it was all a ploy to drive him out of hiding?" he accused bitterly.

"None of this was planned. Ron just-- I don't know what he thought. I don't know what I was thinking either…" she trailed off, grasping at the words that fought in her brain, searching for the right ones.

"He loves you," she said finally with none of the hesitance of the moment before. "You should have seen him when he told us about you. It was like a declaration of war and to Ron it may as well have been. Harry declaring his allegiance to you and, by default, his separation from us." She took a deep breath.

"He was so adamant that you were the one. That he had finally found someone who didn't love him for being the poor, pitiful Boy-Who-Lived-- but in spite of it. That it didn't matter what we said or did; that he wasn't going to let you go."

Hermione's eyes were moist, remembering the passionate declaration of love her best friend had made those years before. The megawatt smile when she'd reassured him that they were still his friends and would support him. She was his friend, and she couldn't stand by as the love of his life disappeared with their child. She had to at least give him the chance to explain.

Draco was bent forward on the seat, head propped in his hands.

"He even told Ron that he loved you more than Quidditch."

Draco finally lifted his head to look at her at the comment. "Figures the only way that lummox would understand was through some sport related analogy."

Hermione pretended not to see the tears glistening on his cheeks and agreed, smiling ruefully. "Sometimes you just have to talk to him in a manner he'll understand."

Her composure broke. "Please, Draco. Harry leaps without thinking sometimes, but he doesn't do anything by halves– he loves you. It was written all over his face. If we had hurt you, he would not have hesitated to hex us."

"Fine, I'll listen." His expression promised that he wouldn't do much more.

"Thank you." With a quick motion she hurried out to the living room.

As he watched her leave, Draco hoped he was making the right decision.

X x X x X x

* * *

"Where have you been, man?" Ron asked. "And why do you look like a bum? Have you been living on the streets?" 

"No, Ron. I've been living in a flat in New York." Harry craned his neck over the sofa trying to look for any sign of Draco. "Do you think he's okay?"

"Hermione's going to help him." Ron glanced at the hallway, wondering what his wife was telling Draco.

"What's wrong with him, Ron? Do you know?" Harry asked frantically. "Why did you have him tied up in your living room?"

"Why did you leave?" Ron countered.

"I had to. It's complicated."

"Same here, mate." Ron responded, shrugging his shoulders.

"What do you mean? You had him tied to a chair in your living room-- what happened?" Harry said tersely.

Noticing the crossed arms across the red head's chest, he recognised it as the motion he did when he would not budge on something.

"Did you guys tell him about the account?" Harry tried instead.

Ron relaxed a bit. "We did and not for lack of sacrifice on my part, let me tell you."

"Why? Didn't you just deliver it to the flat?" Harry asked, trying to peel away Ron's melodrama to understand the situation.

"Because, mate, he disappeared too. A month after you left and we couldn't reach him. He became a Muggle model, you know."

"I know, the newspaper said as much," Harry replied, unfolding the forgotten article from his pocket.

"How has he been?" he pleaded.

"I don't know, Harry. We didn't have too long to talk, really," Ron replied evasively. "I think you screwed up, Harry, big time. I hope you still have time to fix this, but maybe you should clean up first. You look scruffier than usual. I think an owl could build a nest in that." He pointed to Harry's head.

"It's the cheap shampoo," he shrugged, trying to smooth down his hair. "I didn't want to waste too much money…."

"So he would have more of it," Ron finished for him. "You've got to talk to him, mate."

The sound of footsteps caught their attention and both watched as Hermione appeared at the beginning of the hallway, not slowing down until she reached Harry's side.

Ron watched as his wife dug her delicate fingers into the collar of the saviour of the Wizarding world and pulled him up until their noses were touching.

"You're going to walk in there and you're going to explain yourself." Her voice left little room for question.

"Hermione, I know you're trying to help--" Harry attempted to reason.

She shook him, cutting him short. "If you don't do this, you're going to regret it for the rest of your miserable life, and while you'll be oblivious, I'll know everything and it will haunt me to the rest of my days. Get in there."

Harry looked at Ron, begging for assistance, but his friend shook his head. "Go, Harry. Draco deserves more than a vault full of money. He deserves the know the truth from the guy who claimed he loved him."

Harry's eyes widened in surprise at Ron's defence of Draco. It warmed his heart, but scared him even more. What was happening to his lover?

"Ok, Hermione. You can let go now."

She let go only with Ron's help to unclench her fingers. She sat on the couch next to her husband. He held her as her tears soaked his shirt.

X x X x X x X x

* * *

The steps down the hall seemed so long. The nerves that ate at Harry were worst than the ones when he confronted Voldemort. The bathroom door was closed and he tested the knob with a shaky hand only to find it locked. 

"I can here you from here." Draco's voice sounded odd, but he could hear him clearly.

He laid his forehead on the door.

"Draco?" He closed his eyes briefly. "It started a month before I left. I didn't understand what was happening and I couldn't control it."

Draco dug his nails into his palms on the other side of the door. This is where Harry confessed to screwing around his back. Did he really want to hear this?

"During the whole thing with Voldemort I had them, but I knew that he was making those happen. But this was different," Harry continued. "I was having real visions, Draco.

"They were kind of amusing at first. I knew about Ron's promotion before he did. Hell, I even knew about Remus and Snape before they told us."

Draco massaged his abused palms, relieved he had assumed wrong, but not understanding why Harry was rambling on about visions.

"A week before…before I left, I had one about y-you," Harry stumbled over his words, and Draco went closer to the door to better hear him.

"It always begins with you. You're in pain, and you're screaming. My hands are covered in your blood, and Snape is screaming that it's my fault, and all I see is your pale face. I kill you, Draco. I'm responsible for killing you." It was a hoarse whisper.

"I love you so much. I never stopped, but I couldn't continue to be by your side, knowing I'm going to be your destruction if I'm around. Do you understand?"

"A vision, Harry? A vision? You put me through the agony of having you gone, all this bloody uncertainty for a fucking _vision_?!" Draco couldn't hold on to his emotions any longer.

He banged his fist on the door. Harry didn't move away from the spot even though Draco's blows made the wood meet his head.

"But all the other ones came true. If I left, you could have a better life. I'm the reason…the reason…. I see you die. With me gone, your life would be better. I cost you your friends-- I cost you everything," he tried to explain.

"Does it look like I've been better? If this vision is true, I would have died and the baby would have been an orphan. You would be hiding somewhere while your child was given to the highest person in the Ministry with ambitions to hold a high standing in the Wizarding World."

"Baby?" Harry's voice hit a higher register that it hadn't since puberty.

He changed positions quickly and fell to his knees, pressed against the door.

"Draco? Draco, please open the door," he begged.

"No," came a tearful reply.

"Please? Please open the door."

He remained kneeling for a while, his legs going numb from the restrained blood flow. He didn't think Draco would open the door willingly, but he was willing to wait.

The door opened suddenly; Harry went forward a bit until he was able to catch his balance.

"Draco?" The blond stood away from the door, the back of his legs pressed against the tub.

"Don't come closer," he warned, holding up his hand while the other cradled the slight bump in his belly that Harry had not noticed before.

"Merlin, Draco! Pregnant? I left you alone and pregnant?" Harry's eyes were teary and he was filled with self loathing.

"I'm sorry. I'm _so_ sorry. I will always love you and the thought of you having my child is…indescribable, but me being here right now is dangerous to you both. I have to go. I'm sorry." He backed out of the room ready to flee.

"Don't you dare run now, Potter. Don't you _dare_!" Draco commanded.

Harry looked at him, knowing it was a mistake to linger for more than a moment but unable to leave the sight of the man he loved behind, the man that guarded his child underneath his heart.

This would be the last time he saw both of them and then he would never know if he had a son or daughter. He would never see their first steps, or hear them call him daddy. This pain felt worse than any torture or Crucio ever had, but he had to be strong.

"I'm so angry at you right now," Draco began furiously, "but if I'm going to die, I'd rather die with you by my side than alone."

"If I'm here…."

"Damn you! You can't run from this! You're going to be there! Be there for your child and for me! And if at some point it causes my demise, then so be it, but you will be there until my end. Do you understand, Potter?!" his demand ended broken up by the sobs that were now escaping his mouth.

Harry ached to draw the shuddering form into his arms, but he wasn't sure if Draco would accept it. He didn't move, trying to decide, when Draco made the decision for him. Draco threw himself in Harry's lap, arms clutched tightly around his neck.

Whispering furiously in his neck, he murmured, "Im not going to let you get away."

Harry dropped his head onto the blond hair and let his own tears fall.


	11. Chapter 11

Title: Angel on the Cover  
Author: Chibidraco  
Betaed by: No Scrubs12345 - your the greatest!  
Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter or any other familiar characters , like many others I borrow them to play with to my hearts content.  
Warnings: Mpreg

Please Read & Review

* * *

Harry's legs were numb by the time Draco showed any sign of moving. They sat on the cold tile floor, tears having dried and breathing gotten under control long ago. Harry treasured the feel of Draco in his arms and the familiar weight him in his lap. 

"Did you fraternise with anyone while you were there?" Draco asked him, speaking into Harry's chest.

"Of course not," Harry answered with no hesitation.

"Did you think of me?"

"Every moment of every day," Harry vowed fervently.

"All those fights with Voldemort have really addled your brains, haven't they?"

"Erm, I don't know," the brunet answered uncertainly.

"That's the problem. You never know; you never think, Potter." Draco sighed in resignation, absentmindedly rubbing his abdomen.

Harry reacted to the arm moving against his stomach and glanced down to the see the position of Draco's arm.

"I can't believe you're pregnant," Harry said softly, in awe, but he quickly grew serious. "Draco, I shouldn't be here."

"Shut up. You owe me so much for this stunt. You don't know how close you came to having your bollocks ripped off. As a matter of fact, I'm not so sure I've decided not to go with that," Draco muttered half-heartedly, feeling exhaustion setting in.

The blond pushed against his chest with both hands, wriggling off his lap.

"Help me up," the expecting man ordered softly.

Harry scampered to his feet, bending forward to carefully assist him to his feet.

Draco didn't move away from Harry, but moved closer until their chests were almost pressed together. Lifting a hand, he ran the smooth palm across the stubble covering the brunet's strong jaw.

"You look like shite," he commented. From his vantage point he could see the bags under those expressive green eyes.

"You look great," Harry whispered, staring down at him.

Harry's breathing grew deeper the closer Draco got to him. Leaning up slowly, the blond noticed his green eyes were slowly being hidden behind thick sable lashes. Time seemed to stand still, but came rushing back all to quickly. Harry's eyelids stopped their slow descent and sprung open in astonishment.

The blond man moved back to allow the other man to bend forward clutching his stomach. Harry fought to catch his breath; the blond had planted a solid punch to his solar plexus.

Harry wondered how he recalled the name of the muscle, but swept it aside with a calming mantra of 'I deserved that,' unaware he was repeating it aloud.

"Of course you deserved it, Potter. That and much more." Draco uttered the words matter-of-factly. "Come, I want to sleep."

Draco swept out of the washroom not bothering to see if Harry was following. He spied Granger at the end of the hall peering at him.

"Granger!" the former Slytherin called out. "I want kippers, eggs, bacon, toast, and a glass of pumpkin juice for breakfast." Not pausing while he made his order, he stepped into the bedroom and closed the door behind him.

She nodded in agreement although he was no longer in front of her. She watched as Harry appeared in the hall and started to make his way to the guest room. The young woman grabbed his arm before he could enter.

"Wasn't I right?" she asked, looking at him intently.

Harry couldn't meet her imploring brown eyes.

"Wouldn't you have regretted it?" she asked, trying to make him understand her earlier insistence.

He smiled sadly. "Of course I would have, Hermione, but me being here is only going to make things worse."

He gently extricated himself from her grip and disappeared behind the bedroom door. Hermione stayed in her place, memorising the knots in the wooden separation. Both of these men kept putting doors between them and herself.

She could only hope that they didn't do it to each other. The former Head Girl's sigh was unnaturally loud in the quiet corridor and for the first time in her young life, she felt like she could really go for a pint.

X x X x X x X x

Harry blinked to adjust his eyes to the dim lighting; he could just make out Draco's form on the bed. He lowered himself onto the bed, cautiously toeing off his trainers and lying down on top of the covers.

He'd woken up that morning in the same hell that had greeted him for so long and was ending the day going to sleep next to the man he'd ran away from. He could hear Draco's breathing slowed by sleep; he was even close enough to smell his cologne. He closed his eyes, lulled by the familiar noises of a life that seemed so long ago, and for the first time in months, he slept peacefully.

In the dark, grey eyes finally closed, surrendering to sleep once he was sure the other occupant of the bed had fallen asleep first.

X xxX xXxXx

There was an uncomfortable silence as they sat around the table for breakfast the next morning. Hermione looked tentatively from one face to another, trying to discern the situation. It was a good sign, she guessed, that both of them were still here, but they both seemed uncertain about how to act around each other.

Harry ate sparingly, picking at the food on his plate, more interested in staring at the blond man. Draco's face was turning a little red from the brunet's attention and Hermione wasn't sure he was all too happy.

"What's for breakfast?" Ron asked loudly as he joined them in the kitchen.

Noisily grabbing a plate from the cabinet, the redhead sat down next to Hermione and began helping himself.

"Oh, thank you, Mione. You're the love of my life," he whispered, fervently picking up a strip of bacon.

"Me or the bacon?" she asked, raising an eyebrow.

"You of course. You make the bacon," Ron teased, smiling. "Morning, Harry."

The brunet smiled in greeting. "Morning, Ron."

"Look at that, Malfoy. Your plate's almost as full as mine," Ron commented in astonishment.

Draco's expression grew strained but a moment later Ron added seriously, "Good. You're too skinny. My mum always said that pregnant people need to eat with the baby in mind."

"Your mum would know," Draco said lacking vindictiveness.

"Yeah, she would," Ron agreed easily.

"Draco, have you been to see Poppy?" Harry asked quietly.

"I did when I first found out, and thanks to your two Musketeers here, she saw me when I arrived here," Draco replied.

"So what are you guys going to do, Harry?" Hermione asked, more comfortable now that her husband had broken the ice.

"We're going back to the flat," Draco answered for him.

"I need to pack up my things though," Harry told the blond.

"You're not going anywhere. You're staying here with Weasley, and Granger and I will go get your stuff," Draco replied.

"It's okay, Draco. I can do it. I promised you I wouldn't run," Harry insisted, trying to convince him.

Draco grew wary at Harry's almost desperate request. Just what did Harry not want him to see?

"I'm going to do it." His voice left no room for argument. "Don't let him out of your sight," he told Ron sternly.

Draco finished the rest of his plate quickly but with poise. Getting up from the table, he hastened Hermione to finish.

She stood from the table, instructing Ron to gather their plates and wash the dishes and then focused on Harry.

"Where's your Portkey? Or did you use the Floo to get to England?" Hermione questioned him, tapping her foot impatiently.

"I just Apparated," Harry shrugged.

"That's not possible. You can't cross continents using Apparation alone," she contradicted him.

"That was the quickest way to get here, so I just did it," Harry replied quietly, but Draco heard him and he rolled his eyes to disguise the pleasure he felt at the comment.

"Ok. Well, we can't Apparate to an unknown location and it wouldn't be good for Draco either, so you need to tell us where it's located so we can Floo to the nearest Wizarding village."

"Call me when you have it all together," Draco said as he walked back towards his temporary room.

Stepping back in to the kitchen, he added one more thing. "Actually, unless you want your friends to be sanctioned by the Ministry, you should go there to straighten this abduction mess out," he suggested to Harry.

Hermione and Ron looked after him in surprise. In the midst of Harry and Draco reuniting, they'd forgotten all about the circumstances that had brought them back together. What was more shocking was the reminder from Draco that would help keep them out of trouble.

X x X x X x X x X x

It took the pair the better part of an hour to get to Harry's neighbourhood. It was far from any Wizarding communities and in a seedy part of the city. After using two Floos and a thirty-five minute cab ride, they finally arrived at the door of Harry's building. Draco stepped out cautiously, one hand on his wand, the other on the keys Harry had given him.

The building looked dilapidated: the red paint on the brick was peeling off and was worlds apart from what their flat looked like. They chose to take the stairs rather than risk getting stuck in the antique lift.

The long travel time had given Draco plenty of time to imagine what the contents of Harry's flat would hold. Abandoned articles of the paramours that Harry denied having and other dreamed scenarios didn't sit well with Draco's stomach.

Draco's expectations flew out the window when he turned the key and stepped into the room. Sparse was too vague a description for the place. It looked unlived in: there was no couch and no television. The living room was nothing more than a glorified entryway.

Hearing Granger following him, he went down the tiny hallway, passing a compact bathroom. He motioned to his old classmate to pass him one of the shrunken boxes that she'd brought along for packing.

"You do the washroom. I'll do his room," he instructed and kept moving to where Harry had slept for the last five months.

'_What in Salazar's name was he thinking?!_'

There was so much to take in that it was hard to focus on any one thing. Once Draco recuperated a bit, he went for the newspaper articles that covered all of the available wall space. Their positions had to have been level with Harry's eyesight. Moving pictures and large titles underneath the Daily Prophet logo adorned the wall.

Draco set the box on the floor next to his feet, taking a closer look at Harry's bizarre wallpaper.

It was like reliving the war through the parchments magically stuck to the wall. 'A War Torn Wizarding World,' 'Muggles Killed in Crossfire,' 'Panic in the Streets!' It was all there: the entire war captured by the Wizarding media. They were all in chronological order--a strange, painful timeline. Draco removed the articles as he went, dropping them into the box carelessly.

One article in particular caught his eye: 'Student Discovered as Spy in Hogwarts!' Draco remembered the uproar it had caused when Theodore Nott, the boy who had chosen to take up Draco's position in the Death Eater ring, was unmasked.

That could have been him working for the Dark Lord, killing Dumbledore, hiding from the teams of Aurors in broken down houses, bowing down to the Dark Lord in order to survive only to end up an unrecognisable mess strung up on the front door of one of their hideouts. He turned away from the explicit picture of Theodore Nott's body in disgust; his mother had known exactly what she was saving him from. Not that his choice had seemed much better at the time--he'd been a pariah and forced into a closely guarded cloister. Severus had fled from the castle and Harry Potter became the only thing between him and a student body who hungered for someone to blame for the Headmaster's death.

"Finite. Accio articles."

He gathered the summoned stack and dropped them haphazardly into the box. He briefly contemplated setting the depressing things on fire but decided against it. He gathered the threadbare Muggle clothing he found in Harry's pitiful excuse for a closet and threw them onto a pile on the floor; those he was definitely burning. It seemed that in his time as a recluse, the Gryffindor idiot had lived like an impoverished vagabond.

There were no personal effects in the room, and soon Draco was ready to pack up the most important belongings the man had. He kneeled on the floor gingerly, arm stretched out under the bed making grasps at the trunk he knew had to be there.

"Oomph!"

He struggled a little drawing the trunk Harry had had since their school days into the open. He sat on the floor, pulling it open to view the belongings inside. Maybe whatever Harry did not want him to see was in here….

He sifted through the trunk, but all he found was the gifted Firebolt, knick knacks of all kinds, and mementos from fallen comrades in the war; all things he was familiar with. He spotted the album that the half-giant had lovingly pieced together for a young Harry. He leaned back against the trunk to more comfortably peruse its pages.

He wondered if their child would resemble Harry as much as he did James, or if he or she would be born resembling his own parents. He turned the pages quickly, having seen all the pictures before, but stopped cold at an unfamiliar addition. It was a picture of him. He flipped through the new pictures, eyes taking in the images of himself both with Harry and without all through their time together. That sentimental bastard had dared to include him with his family!

He blew out a breath, blinking his eyes to stop those hateful tears that fought to make their appearance.

The blond hurried to shove the perpetrator of these unwanted emotions back into the trunk and promptly shrunk it for travel.

Hermione cleared her throat from the doorway. "I'll have to come back. He has some Pensieves and I don't have a safe way to transport them."

X x X x X x X x X x

"It's Harry Potter!"

"Harry Potter?"

It was almost like the first time he entered the Leaky Cauldron all those years ago with Hagrid. The stares, the amazement from the elderly wizards and witches gathered around, the hushed whispers. Harry Potter had once again returned to the Wizarding World.

* * *

A/N: Hey, I hope that this story has become more enjoyable and not less so. Thanks for reading :)Let me know what you thought 


	12. Chapter 12

A/N: Hello, sorry I know I took long but I hope it makes up , this chapter is 3,300 something words

Thanks to everyone that has reviewed and dropped notes with encouragement, or raving at Harry ;) . I've appreciated them all.

Hope you like . Thanks to Noscrubs12345 whose always so great at working quickly to get these back

* * *

Although Harry had become a regular fixture at the Ministry, his co-workers had never truly got over the hero worship that had worsened with the defeat of Voldemort. With his return, it didn't look like that had changed: his entry initiated more excited twitters of conversation and blatant stares than ever before. 

He was Harry Potter, only an infant when he first faced off with the Dark Lord, who as a man had lived up to his destiny and saved them all.

He felt too much like the little eleven-year-old boy that had seen this new world and existence as an escape from his horrible childhood. Except now he knew better. Thirteen years later, he had learned exactly what he had to go through to reach the peace he thought he'd achieved before these horrible visions began.

He dug his hands deep into his coat, holding the sides closed and avoiding eye contact with anyone. He never thought he'd be walking into this building again; there were so many things tied to it. Not returning to work had been the only good thing about leaving. Too many horrible memories--losing Sirius in its Department of Mysteries and many more battles fought within its walls as they struggled to maintain the symbol of their government--still haunted him.

"Harry, mate? Harry?" The slight pain he felt from Ron jostling him with his elbow finally snapped him from his reverie.

"What?" he asked, trying to clear his mind.

"We need to keep moving, mate, before this crowd gets any bigger," Ron warned.

Harry took a moment to survey what should have been a vast lobby but was starting to shrink with the influx of people that were making their way towards them.

Ron grabbed the absentminded man's hand and started shouldering a path to the elevators.

"It's almost like you're one of those celebrities off the telly," he attempted to joke, waiting for a lift to completely clear and Harry to step in before joining him.

"For all the wrong reasons," Harry replied, moving towards the back of the lift, head dropping onto the smooth glass, eyes closing. Ron waited as the doors closed, eliminating the loud roar that joined whispers made.

"Oh, thank you so much, Mr Potter! I know the Ministry will listen to you--I was scared I'd be thrown into prison!" Ron said with exaggerated reverence, bending his body in half, holding both arms out and moving them up and down.

The comment and Ron's worshipping bow served to snap him out of his bleak mood. He laughed at his friend's antics and threw an arm around his shoulders once he'd straightened.

"Don't ever do that again," Harry warned him then smiled reassuringly. "I'll help you get this sorted out, but explain to me exactly how it happened in the first place?"

"Hermione wanted us to deliver your letter to him in person after we were able to track him down, all thanks to me," Ron emphasised. "We went to New York and Mione had this crazy idea that Malfoy would just sit and listen to us, but I knew better," he reassured Harry.

"So while she went to talk to him, I was waiting with my wand at the ready and a pair of extendable ears. Once I heard he was leaving, I stupefied him and moved–"

"Stupefied?" Harry questioned, horrified at the thought of him doing that to an expectant Draco.

"In a Poppy-approved way," Ron soothed his friend. Once he saw that Harry seemed pacified by his answer, he continued. "So then we cast a Disillusionment charm on him and left the hotel. That's pretty much it." He looked a little put out that Harry had stolen the fire out of his story. "So what are you going to say, Harry?"

The lift doors opened and Ron had no chance to say more as they were bombarded once more by Ministry employees. Harry stepped out of the lift first, this time making his way towards the reception desk.

A young woman looked up at him but Harry interrupted her before she could say anything.

"I need to speak to whoever handles Wizard/Muggle relations."

"S-s-sure, Mr Potter. I'll just tell him you're here." She stepped from behind the circular desk and went back towards the extended hallways.

The men took seats next to each other in the waiting room.

"It's gotten worse. Didn't think it could," Ron mused out aloud.

"At least in this case it will help you get out of trouble," Harry comforted himself, ignoring the people who were not bothering to pretend they weren't staring at him on the opposite couches or those merely "strolling by."

"You guys seemed more civil back there," Harry stated.

"With Hermione? We're always civil. Well, almost always as long as I eventually give in an do as she says," Ron said, resigned but smiling.

"No, I meant you and Draco. Although I know that feeling all too well," Harry comforted him.

"He's not so bad," Ron replied evasively.

"I knew that, but when did _you_ figure this out?" Harry asked with a smile.

"Somewhere between the kidnapping and having him tied up in my living room. Stuff like that brings you a little closer," Ron joked.

Moving closer, he explained seriously. "Actually, it was something that Hermione said about him raising your child in a world full of people that would hate its father. It got me thinking. He was a git when he was younger, but he was just trying to be like his father and who wouldn't turn out screwed up from being raised by a bloke like that?"

Ron sighed, leaning back against the chair. "And then it struck me: he was not going to have just any baby, but your baby. The best friend of my future kid. I can't believe you're going to be a dad, Harry."

Harry casually leaned into his side, but his whisper was anything but. "Let's not talk about that here, okay?"

"Oh, yeah," Ron agreed, spying the too interested looks from their audience.

They settled into an amicable silence, waiting for the girl to return.

"Mr Potter, please come right in. Oh and you too of course, Mr Weasley," the young woman said as she ushered them forward and led them past the desk and the hallway they had expected to be shown down. Instead, they followed her past a series of doors and into a remote corner. They couldn't see what she was exactly doing with her wand against the wall because her body shielded her movements, but the bricks soon parted and uncovered a lift.

The office was not far from where they exited the lift, but Harry was surprised to see the office they were being led to was none other than that of the Minister of Magic.

X x X x X x

"I want to see what's inside," Draco told Hermione, clambering to his feet.

"I don't know if that would be a good idea," she tried getting him to change his mind about looking at the Pensieves. "You don't know what could be in there. You really shouldn't be putting yourself through any stress right now."

"Bring them here, Granger," he told her quietly, not intending to budge from the subject.

"Fine. But don't blame me if you see something that you don't want to." She left the room, but he could hear her heavy footsteps echoing on the hardwood floor.

He sighed and sat on the edge of the bed. He wanted to see what was in the Pensieves--he had to know what was so important.

Hermione re-entered the room carrying one of them.

"This one is Dumbledore's," she told him, setting it on the ground in front of the bed. He nodded, having recognised the long scrutinised item when Harry had searched for more information on the Horcruxes. He didn't care about that one--he wanted to see the one that belonged to Harry, the one where he had stored his important memories. Those he needed to see with more clarity, to relive so he could distinguish what was real and what was just faulty recollection.

No attempts on his part to move towards the offered Pensieve spoke of his disinterest, and Hermione shook her head in disagreement before fetching the other.

"Fine, here. I don't know who this one belonged to." She put the bowl next to Dumbledore's.

Draco didn't bother to enlighten her. They both knew who it belonged to, and while he understood why she was hesitant about him looking at its contents, he would not be deterred.

There were so many memories in there. Translucent tendrils swam in the bowl, holding information that Draco needed to have. He placed his feet on the ground and slowly slid down to sit with his legs outstretched on both sides of the stone basin.

Hermione watched him with concern, ready to intervene if the contents of the Pensieve became unbearable. Draco drew in a long breath and closed his eyes before leaning over into the basin.

Suddenly finding himself in this place, he wondered if he had fallen asleep in the Pensieve and was having this dream again. He had seen these walls before, this cold space that drew out every bit of happiness almost as well as the dementors that guarded the Azkaban grounds. Except it wasn't him trapped in the steel enclosure--it was Harry.

The brunet had his knees drawn up to his chest and only one arm was wrapped around his legs. The other hung lifeless, obviously broken, next to his side. Draco's unconscious footsteps led him to the bars, pressing his face against the cold metal in an attempt to get closer to Harry. Of course he didn't expect him to look happy, but the man seemed positively tortured by whatever plagued him.

The sound of a door squeaking open announced that they were about to have visitors and both Harry and Draco turned to see who it was, although from their vantage point they couldn't see down the hall where they were entering from.

"--why did you have to open the door anyway?" A voice questioned in an angry whisper. Because of the acoustics in the cave-like dungeon, their voices were easily distinguishable.

The person who spoke now was Theodore Nott, but who was he talking too? Draco's fists clenched in response; he hoped they weren't coming to continue torturing Harry.

Behind him, Harry lifted his head, tilting it to the side, eyebrows furrowing as he listened to their conversation.

"He was being a pompous arse and needed to be taught a lesson."

"And did you teach it to him, Father? Because he's gone now. How are you going to tell the Dark Lord he escaped?"

"I don't know." His answer drew a frustrated sigh from Theodore.

It was Nott, Theodore's father, and the person the pair was discussing had to be him and Draco knew the moment that Harry arrived at the same conclusion. His previously tense body relaxed a fraction and he allowed himself a thankful but fleeting smile.

"Nott. Imagine my surprise when I discovered that we are one prisoner short, assuming Potter is still down that hallway?"

Hearing his father's voice, Draco froze for a moment, cupping his hands around his abdomen in a protective gesture that had become quite familiar in the last few days.

"Of course he is, Malfoy," Nott senior retorted indignantly.

"I think I'll see for myself."

As the sound of their footsteps got closer, Draco had to remind himself that this was just a memory and that he couldn't hurt him or his child. Although he knew he was coming, he wasn't prepared when Lucius Malfoy came into sight.

"Hello, Potter. You look horrible," Lucius commented, looking down upon the captured "Boy-Who-Lived."

"I feel great, actually," Harry shrugged, smiling back at him.

"Do you? Don't delude yourself, Potter. Draco will be recaptured eventually and the little blood traitor will pay."

"Still mad that Narcissa loved him so much? She died to save him from the life you were forcing him into," Harry retorted.

_Stupid, Gryffindor! Don't provoke him! _Draco thought, casting a glance at his father's face out of the corner of his eye. He realised he truly did owe his mother everything and was saddened that his child would never know her.

Draco could see his father fighting hard to maintain reign on the legendary control he was known for and tried to remain composed. For all the evil his father had wrought, he had genuinely loved his mother and Draco knew the man blamed him for her self-inflicted demise.

Lucius turned his attention to both Notts instead of responding to Harry's remark, making the motion of leaving the dungeon. "Transport him as soon as possible. Wouldn't want you to lose him too."

"Pettigrew's gone too," Theodore informed Lucius' retreating form.

"You don't think…" his father began.

"Of course he did. It doesn't matter. We will report to the Dark Lord that the prisoner Draco Malfoy escaped and Peter Pettigrew went missing at the same time. We'll let him make his own conjectures," Theodore decided authoritatively.

Draco knew his father well enough to catch the flash of envy that crossed his face--anger that another's son was taking up the place that had been meant for Draco, that Theodore had been able to carry out the instructions the Dark Lord had for the cursed necklace, succeeding in placing the Imperious curse on Madame Rosmerta, all of it.

He felt the memory melt away and Harry's bare bedroom came into focus again. He felt eyes on him and found Granger staring at him intently, wand at the ready, but she relaxed once she saw he was okay.

_Why would he want to see that?_

The only positive thing Draco could think of was that Harry had received confirmation of his escape.

They didn't speak in the time that it took Draco to choose another memory, ready to find out more. He took one last look at the on-guard young woman and lost himself once more in the Pensieve.

It was the Astronomy Tower. He could hear the sounds of fighting and struggle from nearby and the cries he had later associated with genuine fights for survival, not the petty school boy ones he'd instigated.

He glanced around the room, but Harry wasn't there. _How could he not be present but the memory was in the Pensieve? _The question was swept out of his mind when he realised just who was in the room: Dumbledore and Theodore Nott.

He watched the Headmaster disregard the wand the boy pointed at this chest as if he had no concern of the threat to his life, but still wanting to spare the other the pain of killing someone.

There was a dignity in the way his now deceased Headmaster quietly spoke to Theodore, the strain on his ailing body beginning to show with every centimeter as he slid down the ramparts, trying to reason with the boy.

Theodore's form blurred out of focus for a moment and it was too easy for Draco to place himself in Nott's position holding Dumbledore at wand point, too easy to envision himself trying to control his shaking, reminding himself that his mother's and his own lives were on the line in exchange for Dumbledore's. His mother had gifted him with a choice, a choice that had saved him from so much more than she could have imagined. Maybe she had known exactly what awaited him all along….

As it was, his olive branch to the 'light side' had taken place in the Headmaster's office with that infernal twinkling in Dumbledore's eyes and unwanted offers of Muggle lemon drops. He had been shaken a little then too, but the trembling in his shoulders had been the results of restrained tears wrapped in anger. With Severus' tight grip on his shoulder, he had accepted the Headmaster's offer of protection and through all the pain and trials he's faced, he had never regretted it.

This elderly man had the courage to speak to three appearing Death Eaters as if he were serving them tea at a quaint, cozy get-together. At Greyback's appearance, Dumbledore at last seemed surprised. Draco himself couldn't resist the urge to step back until his back touched the wall. The werewolf's gruesome appearance and the bloodlust in his eyes chilled Draco to the bones. His comment about liking the young ones didn't comfort him any, as he couldn't help but imagine his tiny child captured between those long, vicious yellow nails.

After that it all seemed to happen so quickly: Severus appeared and answered Dumbledore's pitiful pleas. Draco saw the disgust Severus felt at being forced to kill the man who had become more of a father to him than his own. Draco turned his face from the Headmaster as he disappeared from sight over the battlements.

There, next to where Draco himself reclined, a figure appeared from the wall itself, which seemed to peel away to reveal Harry. Harry had been there all along! Behind the guise of his invisibility cloak, he'd had a front row seat to the demise of his mentor. He hadn't known that Harry has been there to see this; the man had never confided it in him.

He didn't bother following Harry's desperate sprint in the direction Severus had fled in. He didn't want to see any more of this. He uttered a Finite and escaped back into the present.

"Are you alright?" Hermione asked urgently from above him.

"Fine," he nodded and slowly lifted himself to his feet.

The inquisitive woman was dying to ask what he found in the Pensieve, but maintained the question on the tip of her tongue.

"Let's go. You can come back for those, right?" he said, trying to keep his voice steady.

X x x X x x X

The car ride to the nearest Floo point was a quiet one. Draco centred his attention on the sounds of the Muggle city that had grown familiar to him during his brief life there. It had seemed so long ago, having the news of his pregnancy so soon after Harry's disappearance. Leaving his home of twenty-three years for the unknown realm of Muggles, he had been lucky enough to come across Rob and the opportunity to begin a new life with dignity.

He kept thinking of the memories in the Pensieve; the only positive thing he could see from them at first was the conversation between the Notts that confirmed his escape. The other. The other was nothing more than a painful reminder that, for some reason, Harry had remained glued to the spot and became a spectator for the murder of Dumbledore.

Harry was no coward. Something had to have been stopping him.

Lost in his musings, Draco had missed the phone conversation Hermione was having next to him and only caught the last remnants of it as she asked her husband to bring two of her special containers.

"That was Ron," she informed him as she flipped the mobile closed. "Apparently they met with the Minister of Magic and they explained everything to him. There shouldn't be any trouble, but he thinks it's best if we're here when the American Ministry sends their wizards to settle this tomorrow."

Draco nodded briefly after a moment before Hermione got a chance to tell the driver to turn back.

"Pardon me, sir. Could you please stop the taxi?" he called to the driver. "I'll be back," he explained hopping out of the car. Hermione noted that they had stopped in front of a corner store.

It didn't take Draco long to reappear at the door of the car with a plastic bag, whose large red 'Thank you' was all she got to see before he shrunk it and furtively slipped it into his pocket.

After Hermione instructed the cab driver to turn around and return to the flat, she sighed and settled back into her seat.. She felt her eyes begin to droop and decided a quick rest would serve her well. She had barely slept the night before, worrying about these men who still seemed so much like boys.


	13. Chapter 13

A/N: Finally. Ive written a new chapter , I hope you like. Let me know what you thought :)

* * *

Ron and he made their way through the dim lobby, Harry steering them away from the lifts and towards the steps.

"Safer," he explained, leading the way to his flat. He rapped his knuckles on the door, which was quickly answered by Hermione.

"Hey," she greeted, gathering Harry into a warm hug. Harry moved away so she could say hello to her husband.

He looked around the small space, not surprised to see it more empty than usual. His random scatterings of shoes, clothing, and newspapers were gone and the space looked less lived in than usual.

"You cleaned up," Harry commented aloud, turning to look at Hermione. She was standing with her arms around Ron and they were speaking softly to each other. They didn't move away, just adjusted their positions slightly so that there was a little more room between them.

'Oh, how things change,' he thought

He missed Draco.

"Draco wanted to," Hermione told him, interrupting his melancholy train of thought.

"Where is he?" Ron asked curiously.

"He's sleeping in the bedroom. So, everything's okay?"

"Everything is fine," Ron assured her. "Harry did his 'Harry Potter thing' and it was all 'Don't worry, Mr Harry Potter, sir. It was just a misunderstanding. We'll fix everything, no problem,'" he gushed in imitation of the administrators.

"It's uncanny how well he does that," Harry said and laughed at Ron's expression.

Hermione extracted herself from Ron's hold. "The delivery guy should be here soon. Why don't you wake up Draco? He needs to eat," she instructed, pushing him towards the hall.

Harry made his way down the corridor and slowly turned the door knob, cautiously stepping into the bedroom to the loud crinkle of plastic. He held his breath, and when the figure on the bed made no move, he leaned down slowly to remove the plastic bag from beneath his foot. The red happy face looked back up at him and he placed it on the floor in a corner so he couldn't step on it again. With a determined sigh, he made his way to his bed.

The artificial lighting of the street lights filtered into the room without obstruction now that his heavy black curtains had been removed. It seemed that all was right with the world with Draco lying in his bed, in his home. Harry drank in the sight of smooth locks of blond falling into his face, his slender waist, long lean legs in those jeans, the curve of his firm buttocks, and what seemed to be a Twinkie clutched tightly in his hand.

In fact, it seemed there were at least three other wrappers on the bed around Draco. Harry crept closer to remove the treat from the man's hand; if he kept clutching it like that, it was liable to end up smeared across the bedcovers and himself.

He tried to gently release the fingers from around the Twinkie and almost succeeded when he heard an outraged "Mine!"

"Draco?" Harry asked, looking into half-cast silver-grey eyes.

The blond slowly lifted himself up into a sitting position and went to rub his hand across his face when he seemed to realise what he held. He dropped it into Harry's palm and made his way out of the bedroom and into the bathroom.

"Come in here, Potter," Draco called a moment later.

Harry went to comply, unsure of why his assistance was needed. He peeked into the room to see Draco gathering his shaving cream, razor, and a towel and placing them on the edge of the sink.

"Sit down," the blond ordered when Harry looked at him questioningly, "I'm going to shave you."

"What? Why?" Harry asked, not daring to sit down just yet.

"I wasn't joking when I said you looked like shite and I'm not going to have you escort me anywhere resembling some crazed homeless person."

Harry rubbed his cheek sheepishly. "I didn't think I looked _that_ bad."

"You look dreadful. Now shut up and sit down," he ordered and indicated the seat with a razor.

Harry stepped back, a little wary of Draco and the sweeping motions the man made with the sharp object.

"Draco, are you sure you know what your doing? You've never had to shave in your life," Harry asked tentatively.

"I've seen it done. Now sit down," Draco ordered

"Why can't we just use a depilatory charm?" Harry tried not to whine.

"Because I want to do it the Muggle way," Draco told him while pushing against his chest until Harry's calves met the porcelain surface of the toilet and he was forced to sit down.

The combination of Draco and the blade working anywhere around his throat made him a little nervous, especially since the blond was still upset with him.

Draco set the blade aside, much to his relief, and instead picked up the can of shaving cream. Pressing lightly on the nozzle, he began to massage a dollop between his hands before beginning to smooth it along Harry's cheeks carefully.

Harry clenched his fingers on his knees when Draco once again picked up the razor and brought it to his face. The blond seemed to be concentrated on the task, making a smooth sweep across the stubble that covered Harry's cheek, running the blade under the tap to remove the suds and hair before returning to his cheek. He did this a couple of times more before speaking again.

"I burned those horrible rags," Draco informed him.

"They were perfectly fine Draco. They were comfortable. Do you know how long it took to get the trousers lived in?" Harry complained.

"Why did you keep those news clippings?" Draco asked instead without looking at Harry.

"What clippings?" Harry began before getting his head pushed back, exposing his throat.

"The ones you decorated your bloody room with, Potter."

"Oh, those," Harry acknowledged.

"I know why you did it, Potter. I just want to hear you admit it," he said tersely, shaving a line up the man's throat.

"Admit what?"

"That you've been playing this hero game for so long and that you love to play the bloody martyr."

"What! I don't!" Harry protested. He attempted to move forward but the increased pressure of the razor changed his mind.

"Why do you have to be like that, Harry? Haven't you had enough? You probably put those things up to remind you every day of the war and to reinforce this cockamamie idea of abandoning me."

"I didn't."

"You did," Draco assured him. "I know that you think it's for my own good and all that rot but it was really stupid. You're always looking for trouble."

"I don't look for it, Draco, it finds me. There could still be supporters out there, roaming in dark shadows waiting for their chance to strike. There are people we might have missed capturing."

"There is no war on, Harry Potter. It's over. Give me your word that you will not leave me again." He poised the razor at the opposite side of his throat.

"It's still dangerous—" The razor's pressure lightly increased. "I promise," Harry said softly.

"Good. I deserve to be happy, and, Merlin only knows why, but I need you around to accomplish that." Draco would have been amused at the pleased smile and flush that spread across Harry's face if the colour hadn't been rising on his own.

"You're such a bloody hero, Potter," he mocked to change the mood.

"I'm not—"

"You are," Draco interrupted again. "Probably saved little girls from getting their pigtails pulled I bet. Saving people since you were in your nappy, you were," Draco continued, washing off the razor for the last time.

"Not really. I was too busy getting my face shoved in the mud by Dudley and his goons." Harry smiled at him.

"You're not forgiven yet, Potter," Draco told him, wiping his face with a moistened cloth. "There, I'm finished. Now feed me."

Harry smiled up at the man who stood above him with his arms crossed and an expectant expression on his face. From his position, he was directly in front of the tiny swell that peeked over the top of his jeans and the bottom of his shirt.

The direction of his gaze was not lost on Draco and he smiled a little when he ordered again, "Hurry up, Potter. We're getting hungry."

X x x X x x X

To say he was intimidated would have been kind.

Frankly, he was overwhelmed with the amount of things going on around him. He tried not to notice the camera flashes and flashes of skin both male and female. Harry really had no idea what they were doing here. Draco had mentioned something about someone he needed to maim and Harry, too relieved that it wasn't him, hadn't bothered to ask.

He always thought that he and his friends were not gargoyles and that they were reasonably attractive, but it was interesting to see so many pretty people in one place.

'Draco is still the most striking one of all them all,' he though with pride.

"Where is he?"

"Who are you looking for?"

Harry started, not realising he had spoke the question aloud.

The person who answered his unintentional question was a red headed woman with an almost equally red painted mouth. Those scarlet lips stretched into a one sided smile that reminded Harry of a less appealing version of Draco's sexy smirk as she waited for him to answer.

"No one really. Just waiting around," Harry shrugged.

"Are you a new model?" the woman asked.

"Mer—God, no! I couldn't do this." Harry shook his head.

"Why not? You're easy enough on the eyes," she practically purred, eyeing him up and down.

"Thanks, but unlike my lover, I'm not made for this kind of stuff," Harry replied, hoping the fact he was taken would give the woman a hint.

She moved closer instead and practically glued herself to his side, looking up with half lidded eyes and asked, "Is your lover as pretty as me?"

"Prettier," Harry answered without hesitation and froze a little under the woman's scowl.

"Keep your knickers on, you hag!"

Harry exhaled with relief at the sound of Draco's voice.

"What are you doing back—weren't you kidnapped by some hippie and taken to his camp?" the red head asked the blond, who was approaching with an older man.

"Lisette, it seems that no matter what they dress you up in," Draco motioned to her clothes, "you can't don class as easily, can you?"

"What?" Lisette asked icily.

"Listen, Potter here is my love slave, so be a dear and give freely of yourself elsewhere."

The woman glared at Draco but turned swiftly on her heel and went away in an obvious huff.

"You jut got back. Do you really need to start fighting with her?" the man standing beside Draco asked.

Draco rubbed his temples before answering.

"She was salivating over off limit goods. I did her a favour. She was making a fool of herself," Draco said without remorse. "Robert, this is Harry Potter. Potter, this is Robert, the man who had enough sense to offer me a job. I'll be back," Draco excused himself and moved towards the refreshment table.

Robert and Harry shook hands. "Thank you so much for helping him out," Harry told the older man sincerely.

"No problem, although my last involvement in this situation brought unexpected consequences. I was the one who told your friend Hermione where he was," Robert admitted.

"Oh, that was you? How bad was it?" Harry asked tentatively.

"Not too bad, though for one horrible second I lost my gonads. Literally, but he gave them back soon enough," Robert said through a tight throat.

Harry's eyes widened and he grimaced in sympathy. "He can be a little vengeful sometimes. I can't even start to imagine what he's going to do to me."

"But you're glad to be back? You do have a child on the way," Robert asked.

"It means everything to be here with both of them," Harry answered.

There must have been something in his tone that satisfied Robert because the man smiled and nodded. "Good. He needs you."


	14. Chapter 14

Author: chibidraco

Beta: noscrubs12345

A/N: Wow, its been a long time since I've updated Im sorry. **insert shameless plug** hopefully the one shots in My life together with you, and the antics of Harry in "Harry's Dirty Little Secrets" have appeased you... Ok seriously I have not abandoned this fic and I have the outline, ending set up just need to fill in the spots :) Updates will be faster as I've left my oppresive job and now have more time to write.

Thank you So much to people who have reviewed and poked me to encourage me to write and have left feedback. Enough rambling , Please Read/Review/and if you must complain.

* * *

Harry grew bored after Robert had excused himself to get back to work. He found Draco standing off to the side speaking to someone, and went to stand by his side. He hoped their discussion wouldn't take long because he was ready to leave. 

"I already told you that I'm not interested right now," Draco continued arguing with the woman when Harry joined them. The unknown woman was tall and dressed in what Harry assumed where the highest fashions and was tapping her expensive-looking heel in exasperation.

"Of course you're interested. I'm not talking about putting your picture in Macy catalogs--I'm talking about million dollar contracts with important designers. I would sell my mother for a chance like this."

"Your poor mum," Draco murmured sarcastically. "I understand the implications of not accepting their offers, but I will be indisposed for at least eight months--I simply can't do it. If they really want me that badly, they can wait. If not, I really can't find it in me to care," he said honestly.

"I can find anyone--_anyone_--to replace you!" she blustered, smoothing back her silver-streaked black hair.

"Then find them," Draco replied calmly, not intending to budge.

She sagged in disappointment. "You're a demon. You're lucky they asked for you personally. I'll ask if they'll wait, but who knows if they will. I don't see what could be so important," she mumbled as she walked away.

Harry noticed Draco rub his lower stomach briefly where the tiny bump resided undetected under his jumper.

He had a brief vision of the blond with an extended belly, one hand poised in the small of his back in one of those skimpy creations, sashaying down a runway. Wouldn't _that_ shock the fashion industry and the world?

"What's so funny, Potter?" Draco asked, poking him in the side to get his attention.

"Nothing, nothing," he shook his head, unable to stop grinning at the image.

Draco leaned up a little into Harry's face. "What?"

"No, just imagining if you had to do this in a couple of months," he smiled.

"I'd look like a fat lump, Potter," Draco fell back on his heels, rolling his eyes.

"No, you could never look like that. I think you'd look beautiful," Harry whispered.

"Quit it, Potter. No sweet talk from you," Draco replied with a smile that contradicted his tone.

"I'm not lying. I've been thinking about it, you know. How you'll look…." Harry blushed and cleared his throat. "I'm not the only one who thinks so. Even Dean was looking for you to pose for him."

Harry continued his explanation while Draco looked at him disbelievingly.

"That's actually how Ron found you. Dean got your photo from Robert and he was interested in offering you work. Something about a piece he's doing on pre—ouch!"

Harry's explanation cut off by the forceful drop of Draco's foot on his.

He understood Draco's abrupt interruption when the woman Draco had been arguing with suddenly appeared next to him.

"Is someone else offering you a contract? Where are you going? I'll double it. Draco–"

"No, Nadine, I'm not going to work for someone else. I am not working at all. My companion was simply pointing out an acquaintance of mine was interested in seeing me."

"Fine! Don't tell me about your other offers! Read this over. I increased your percentage and I would be representing you exclusively. After your eight month vacation is finished, I expect to be the first considered," she insisted as she shoved the folded papers into Draco's newly donned coat pocket.

Draco rolled his eyes and waited for Nadine to move away before pinching the firm flesh of Harry's stomach.

"Careful, you dunce. However where you able to keep your own secrets, Potter?"

"I'm sorry, Draco, but I just knew of our little addition not even a week ago and I'm still getting used to it." Harry's smile was so sappy and proud that Draco felt his irritation melt away.

"Just a little more discretion, Potter. That's all I ask," Draco replied, waving goodbye to Robert.

Harry stepped out of the door first, holding it open for Draco when the sounds of flashes had him turning around and pushing Draco back into the office.

"Don't!" Draco ordered grabbing Harry's arm as he reached for his wand. "They're cameras! Merlin, you're paranoid!" Draco muttered, letting go of his forearm.

Too relieved they were not under attack, Harry moved forward to let Draco leave.

'Wait…. Cameras?' he thought to himself as he followed the blond outside.

Sure enough, a look around awarded him with grinning faces and large invasive cameras; flashes were going off all around him.

"Draco Malfoy!"

"What happened to you?"

"Is it true that you were being held against your will in the basement of their home?"

"Is it true you ran away to get married to Omahyra?"

They continued throwing out questions while not ceasing the infernal picture taking.

"What the bloody hell?" Harry asked, confused. "Who are these people?"

"Keep moving Harry; let's get into the car, okay?" Draco asked, pushing him in direction of the car the American Ministry had arranged for them, complete with a driver.

Once safely seated in the car, they were able to pull away from the story hungry reporters and relax.

X x x X x x X

"And you're used to that?" Harry questioned, stepping out of the Floo into the Ministry main lobby.

"I'm used to people taking pictures of me, Potter, sure. I mean, it's kind of my profession," Draco tried explaining again.

"They take pictures of you like that? All hounding you?"

"Well, obviously it's not like that in my assignments. That's the way it is in the Muggle world. In the Wizarding world we have, what? Four publications of news? Here it's different and Muggles seem to have an obsession with anyone they find noteworthy."

"So they just swarm you in random places?" Harry asked, trying to understand.

"Yes, although this is the first time it's happened to me personally. Must be because of my disappearance." Draco shrugged.

"Are you Mr Potter and Mr Malfoy?" a soft voice came from a young woman approaching them.

"It's so good to meet you both and Mr Potter!" She paused. "You've done an amazing thing!" she praised with a sincere smile.

Harry's smile waned, but the woman did not notice as she had turned to take them towards a corridor. Harry felt eyes on him and heard the dull roar of the whispers that made him pat down his fringe over his scare reflexively.

"I didn't think it would be like this here," Harry said, confused.

"Harry, did you think Voldemort would have been content to only have us under his heel? He would have moved on to the Americans soon enough. News of what he was up to has only been released in the last months or so here. The Ministry of Magic was still trying to keep it under wraps," Draco explained.

"Oh," Harry replied dumbly; he was still not used to the treatment he received back home and now to experience it in a country he'd never visited before?

"Go, Golden Boy. You have a Minister to charm." Draco goaded, pushing him forward.

It was almost two hours later that they were finally able to leave the Ministry. They had been spared a lot of formalities but time had still seemed to drag . Just when Draco thought he could stand it no longer , he was instructed to give his statement of the incident so they could close the case.

Draco did so with pleasure all too eager to put the issue behind him and return to the Plaza Hotel to check in and get some desired rest.

X x x X x x X

"Mr Malfoy, good to see you again," the man greeted the blond as he passed two key cards over the counter to Draco. "And Mr Potter, it's a pleasure to have your acquaintance. I hope you enjoy your stay here."

Harry tried to hold back at laugh at the haughty yet polite way the man spoke. He spoke as if Draco had not disappeared from that very hotel a week before.

"Your companions are accommodated in the room besides yours, sir."

"Great ... And?" Draco prompted.

"And the young gentleman was as taken aback as you said he would be," the attendant supplied, "but I insisted and his lovely wife convinced him to take the room."

"Thank you," Draco inclined his head and Harry threw back a "goodbye" over his shoulder at the man as he followed Draco toward the lifts. They rose quickly but smoothly from floor to floor and found their room as Harry asked, "You got Ron and Hermione a room?"

"They needed somewhere to stay didn't they?" Draco waved off his generosity. "And they tried to help me in their own foolish way. They're not so horrible, I guess," he admitted.

Nearly jubilant that his lover and best friends were finally making progress, Harry pulled the slim frame into a hug. Draco didn't struggle but accepted thee embrace. It had been a long day and it was strange to think that he was right where he was a week ago; checking into the Plaza hotel, but not alone anymore and returning to a home and not an empty flat.

"I can't stay here all night, Potter," he reminded the brunet when he didn't release him.

"Just let me hold you a little longer?" Harry pleaded into his shoulder, clutching him tighter.

Draco's arms slowly came up to encircle Harry's neck and he squeezed back, inhaling Harry's new scent of cheap soap.

They didn't notice when the door of the room besides theirs opened and a curly head peeked out. Hermione watched them with a tender expression. After a moment, she gently closed the door, careful not to disturb them.

But however softly, Draco heard the click of the door. "Potter, I need to bathe. Go play with your friends," he suggested, moving back.

"Alright," Harry reluctantly agreed and after he saw Draco safely into their room, he was knocking on his friend's door.

"Hey Harry." Hermione smiled wide as she opened the door and moved back for him to enter.

"Ron's in the bedroom. I can't get him away from the telly."

This being the first time that Harry had seen the inside of the hotel room, he was surprised by the size and sheer opulence of it. The room was large and full of fancy fixtures.

"No wonder he didn't want to go back to my flat," Harry mused.

"I think there's more to Draco's refusal to return to your little nook, Harry, but this is almost too grand, isn't it? Ron complained that it was just like Draco to throw away money, but you can tell he really likes it," Hermione confided, going to the bedroom.

Ron lay on his stomach on the large bed, head in his hands, watching the large flat screen television suspended on the wall. Harry took as seat beside his friend while Hermione took possession of the large arm chair by the bed.

"X-tra X-tra! Nicole Ritchie's baby! Who is the father and are Reese and Ryan getting back together? A source close to the couple reveals secret meetings between the two," the pretty young woman announced, several television screens behind her rotating with images of faceless Muggle celebrities.

"I really wish you wouldn't watch that, Ron," Hermione complained. "It's all supposition and gossip."

"But Muggles are so odd. It's funny, really," Ron insisted. "There are four different blokes that could be the father of her baby – but they don't have spells like us so she has to wait until it's born to run a Muggle paternity test. Isn't it silly, Harry?"

Harry shrugged. "I don't know, mate. That sounds kind of sad actually--you know, for the woman and her kid."

"Exactly!" Hermione cried triumphantly. "That's what I've been telling him. All they report is these unfortunate and crazy incidents of the seedy underbelly of Muggle society which provide an inaccurate portrayal of Muggles as a whole."

"Um, okay. what Hermione said," Harry agreed, laying back against the covers, his head landing by Ron's feet.

"Fine, Hermione. But at least you don't have that problem, Harry. Doubting the paternity of Malfoy's baby," he teased. "Or do you?"

"No doubt at all, mate. I definitely put that baby there," Harry teased back, folding his arms behind his head.

It was a reflection of the maturing Ron Weasley who did not groan at Harry's phrasing but instead nodded and smiled good-naturedly. "Just checking, mate," he said and turned his attention toward the T.V.

They were content to lay there watching the loosely labelled "news" show, Hermione having already sought the refuge of a thick-spined book.

"The search for male model Draco Malfoy is called off and he is found next after the break," the pretty announcer said before the programme cut to an advert for some Muggle chain restaurant.

They all looked at each other in surprise and Harry started to move but Hermione was already on her feet. "I'll go get him."

It wasn't long before she returned with Draco, who was towelling his hair, in tow.

"What's so important that you had me rush here, Potter?" he asked, more curious than irritated.

"They were talking about you on the television, Malfoy," Ron informed him gleefully.

Blond eyebrows drew together in suspicion and he approached the bed all the while maintaining a narrow stare at Ron.

"Move over, Weasley," he commanded, making the red head shift over to accommodate himself between him and Harry.

Draco manoeuvred on the bed until he was sitting up with his knees to his chest and hip pressing against Harry's. One hand wrapped around his knees the other dangled close to Harry's outstretched hand. He curled his fingers around Harry's and avoided Harry's surprised look by starring straight ahead.

"Last week's disappearance of model Draco Malfoy was made all the more intriguing considering that it was confirmed he was in line for offers with several well known designers after the Dolce and Gabana show. Many thought someone may have been taking out the competition, and although that doesn't seem to be the case, there does seem to be something more to the story."

They showed video of Harry exiting the building and holding the door open for Draco, then zoomed into Draco holding Harry's arm in what looked like a loving touch, and there was no mistaking the protective hand on the small of Draco's back as he entered the car before Harry.

"The official statement the authorities have released is a simple mix up of security tapes. They say Draco left the hotel in disguise and that he was overseas and unaware of what was happening. I think we can see why he was distracted if the man accompanying him had anything to do with it."

"Did Katie really make a cry for help? Sources say…."

Hermione lowered the volume once more and looked at Draco. "You guys look really good on camera," she mused.

"It's weird seeing myself on there, but that should be the end of it right?" Harry asked Hermione, not wanting to relive that afternoon.

"It should be fine. Once the novelty dies down a little, they'll forget all about it," she reassured him.

"Can we watch something else?" Harry asked.

"Sure," Ron replied flipping the channels to find a movie for them to watch. Eventually Hermione joined the trio on the bed beside Ron. When the credits of _The Notebook_ finally rolled, she smiled, looking around to see she was the only one still awake, Ron's gentle snores and gentle breaths could be heard over the soft din of the television. She leaned over slightly to see Draco curled up in Harry's arms, sound asleep.

Although she was tempted to keep them both in the bed close to her so she could watch over them, she realized that Draco may not be comfortable waking up there in the morning. She nudged Harry awake and soon he was moving slowly, carrying Draco back to their room. Hermione waited until their door closed and slipped under the covers, rejoining Ron.

* * *

Next chapter Harry and Draco enjoy some time together in New York, Muggle interest does not wane and what's worse the Wizarding media also joins in -eager to know more about the hero of the Wizarding world. 


	15. Chapter 15

Title: Angel on the Cover Author: chibidraco  
Beta: noscrubs12345  
Disclaimer: Harry Potter and all related characters do not belong to me.  
Warnings: mpreg

Summary: Harry Potter has left for the muggle world a year after he defeats Voldemort. Draco Malfoy struggles to make a life for himself as he has to find employment, while dealing with the biological present that Harry left behind. (My memory is purposely selective when it comes to HBP- you'll see )

Read/Review/Complain

Hope you like..

* * *

X x x X x x X

"Come on, Ron. You can't hide in Harry and Draco's room all day," Hermione called from the open door of Harry's bedroom.

"But I don't want to go!" Ron whined.

"Well, tough. I want to go see the museums. It's our last day here," she replied seriously, taking a seat next to him on the bed.

"Why doesn't Harry have to go?" Ron complained, laying back and covering his face with his hands.

"Because Harry has to go with Draco to buy clothes," Hermione explained for the fifth time that morning.

"He doesn't need clothes new clothes, do you, Harry?" Ron asked his friend, who sat on the other side of him.

"I didn't until Draco burned all of mine," Harry answered, still disbelieving the blond had set flame to his clothing.

He shrugged. "And Draco says it's the only way he'll get on the plane tomorrow"

"Hermione, why don't you go with Malfoy and _I _will go with Harry?" Ron proposed with a hopeful look in her direction.

"I don't think so, Weasley. Like I'd trust you two to bring back anything worthwhile, and, at any rate, I've seen them all. Granger, make sure you take your time. You'll want to take it all in," Draco suggested, joining them in the bedroom.

"Thank you, Draco. We'll do that." She smiled and Draco smirked when Ron glared at him.

The blond put on the coat he wore the day before, causing folded papers to fall out onto the floor. He glanced at the documents and an addressed envelope all ready for delivery and just shucked it into the rubbish bin.

"You're not going to consider it?" Harry asked as Draco didn't bother to read the documents.

"Consider what?" Hermione asked curiously.

"This lady at his job was offering to extend his contract with her," Harry told her, turning back before for Draco's answer.

"I'm not sure I'll want to come back to this when I can. It's not like I need to anymore," Draco answered, shrugging.

"If you like it, Draco, I think you should. Rob showed me your portfolio and you had some great shots," Hermione encouraged.

"Maybe," Draco replied vaguely. "Let's go, Harry." He waved goodbye to the other couple and waited for Harry to join him outside.

"This won't take too long will it, Draco?" Harry asked hopefully.

The blond lifted an eyebrow but otherwise declined to answer.

X x x X x x X

_This is punishment_, Harry thought hours later when he was lugging packages in his arms and walking slightly behind Draco. The man was a menace; he didn't think he would ever wear half of the things they had bought.

Draco had walked into the stores purposely and immediately began asking the assistant to fetch him specific sizes and colours, which they did most enthusiastically. Harry was seeing labels and names he had never heard before in his life. What made it all worse was that there was someone following them, not bothering to attempt to conceal himself and Harry could just make out the camera peeking from his coat.

It wasn't long before the photographer was in his face and calling out to them.

"Malfoy, is that your lover?"

"Is that why all those fancy designers are trying to get you into their pants? Because they want to get into yours?" the disgusting man spat out.

Harry felt anger rise in him, indignant that this man would insult Draco like that. He was about to drop the bags on the floor and launch himself at the man when Draco suddenly shoved him against the wall, pressed his body chest to groin with his and proceeded to dominate his mouth.

Harry was vaguely aware of the sounds of the camera flashing and scandalised gasps. Draco gave one last nibble to the bottom of Harry's soft lip and moved away a little.

"Pick up the bags, Potter, and let's go back to the hotel." He pressed his groin against Harry's thigh, leaving little doubt as to what he wanted.

Harry shouldered past the satisfied looking photographer and followed Draco to find a taxi. They were oblivious to anything but than each other, exiting the cab in a flurry of movement and walking quickly to the lifts.

They were barely through the door when Draco was already pinning him against it and tugging his shirt out of his trousers. Harry let him lead until all the built up frustration from those long months alone got the better of him.

He leaned down to touch the back of Draco's thighs, pulling a bit until the other man got the hint and lifted his legs to wrap them around his waist. Fondling with the blond's shirt and belt buckle, Harry manoeuvred his way into the bedroom and shut the door.

X x x X x x X

_The back of the building was cast in shadows, mostly attributed to the surrounding structures that blocked out the mid-afternoon sun. Manoeuvring stealthily alongside the side of the building, he remained shrouded in darkness at all times. Turning a corner sharply, he joined the other people that were gathered in the enclosed space. _

_There was constant movement, rustling of plastic and full of conversation. The uniformed workers didn't seem too concerned at the newest addition to their crew but kept taking rubbish off the carts and throwing them into the appropriate large containers. _

_The man moved forward towards one employee and began speaking in hushed tones. He extended a thread bare sleeve, holding something that could not be seen. When he moved away from the maid, their exchange seemed to have been fruitful for the man because the woman was smiling and ready to assist him. _

_She pointed to the side where there were four bags gathered and as he went to pick one up, she shook her head and indicated the bag beside it. He grabbed the rubbish bag with as much reverence as one would hold a bag of treasure and sprinted away from the scene, leaving the other employees to watch him go with quizzical expression on their faces. _

_He ran from the alleyway, quickly crossed the street, ignoring the squeal of brakes and epithets thrown at him by angry motorists and blaring car horns and kept moving. He ran for a couple of minutes until he slipped into another dark alleyway. Sitting down, he eagerly ripped open the black plastic bag, unearthing its contents with the fervour of a child on Christmas morning. Curled forward, he made quite a picture; it was for the better that no one could see him. _

_Out spilled all kinds of normal rubbish one would expect in a garbage bag, pieces of paper and tags ripped from new clothing, banana peels, cans of tuna, and yogurt cups. The man seemed to grow frustrated as he swept aside the trash with his bare hands, and then suddenly clutched something to his chest and his back straightened. He let out a mad, haunting laugh. _

Harry woke with that laughter ringing in his ears. Draco was still sleeping, so he was sure to move quietly out of the bed to relieve himself. There was something so familiar about that vision; certainly, he didn't know anyone that would rummage through rubbish, much less someone else's. And it was with that thought that the recollection of a pineapple and tuna sandwich came into mind and Harry realised that the garbage the stranger had been searching was his own.

"Bugger!" he cursed. He had moved so quickly away from the sink he had stubbed his toe on the bottom. He hobbled out of the bathroom, shaking his hands to dry them and sitting next to Draco on the bed.

"Draco?" he called, shaking the other man softly at first then with more pressure as his anxiety grew.

"What?" Draco groaned, opening his eyes mere slits to identify his tormentor.

"I had a vision, Draco. Someone stole our garbage and he was looking through it!"

"Harry, I am going to kill you," Draco muttered. "I'm tired. Let me sleep"

"But Draco--"

"Harry, if someone wants to search through our rubbish, let them search. It's probably because I was so impulsive and kissed you yesterday. He was looking for all sorts of scandalous things to show the world," Draco mumbled, turning over on his other side and curled up deeper in the sheets.

He figured that Draco was right. He knew more about these things, having been in the Muggle spot light. Harry just couldn't comprehend why someone would go to such lengths just to get information about somebody. He was tempted to return to bed but was interrupted by a familiar tapping on one of the windows.

He spied Hedwig through the glass and hurried to let her in.

"Hello, girl," he greeted the snowy white owl, smoothing back her ruffled feathers.

Harry grabbed the rolled up parchment she held and was relieved to see the Hogwarts seal on the outside.

Stealing one of the crackers that Draco kept on his night table, he gave it to Hedwig to eat and conjured a bowl for her to drink from. Once she was settled, he sat back against the armchair and unfolded his long awaited response.

_Glad to see you've rejoined us Mr Potter. I would be happy to see Draco for a check up when you return to England. Just inform me when you will be coming and pending no emergencies from students (although no one comes to see me as frequently as you did), I shall be available. _

_In response to your question, travelling by Muggle airplane is fine but using the Floo is fine as well. _

_Poppy Pomfrey, Registered Mediwitch _

_Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry _

_P.S. Mr Potter all new parents are nervous at first. _

Harry closed the note, reassured that all seemed well for their departure tomorrow and that they were ready to go home.

X x x X x x X

Draco exhaled a puff of air onto the small window of the airplane and had to refrain himself from tracing words in the cloud of moisture he'd made.

But who could blame him?

Ten hours on a bloody flight, he was bound to start getting irritated. At least the seating was comfortable since Harry had enough sense to purchase first class tickets.

The brunet had no problems getting some rest, having fallen asleep in his seat, head thrown back against the headrest, his new earphones dangling around his neck. The in-flight movie they'd chosen was half-way through on the small screen in front of him. Draco was tempted to pinch him in retribution for being able to fall asleep when he himself couldn't.

He didn't, though. It seemed the anxiety of becoming a parent was starting to set in for Harry and their unauthorised garbage collector seemed to have made him tenser. Harry insisted on going on a Muggle airplane but Draco put his foot down when Harry suggested they go directly to Madame Pomfrey upon arriving. He was already tired and wanted to have time to properly settle in, and he already made earlier arrangements and had an appointment for a week later.

"You've turned into such a worry wart," he mused, smoothing Harry's messy fringe, trying to arrange the locks into more of an order but gave up soon enough.

"I hope this baby doesn't inherit your hair, Potter," he murmured and lay back in his own seat, closing his eyes in an attempt to get some rest himself.

X x x X x x X

_He saw Draco curled up on his side on the floor, cradling the large mound of his belly protectively. It was dark and the vision of Draco would flee his mind, followed too quickly by the sight of his own bloody hands; Snape's sneering face was made frightening, not by the anger reflected in it, but the pain and fear that he was trying to hide. All the images were accompanied by Draco's pain filled cries._

Harry's breathing lost the peaceful rhythm of sleep and began to accelerate as if he had been running. Stuck between his vision and consciousness, his magic began to fluctuate in response to his mental unrest and it began to affect the area around him.

The lights began to flicker overhead, the films on the screens were replaced by grey static, and the pilot attempted to speak to them but the loud speaker cut off as he tried.

In the midst of the chaos, Draco snapped out of his light doze, taking in all the malfunctioning equipment and the more unusual the feel of raw magic. His eyes flew to Harry, where he found the other man still asleep, but there was flickering behind his eyelids and his mouth was twisted in displeasure. It seemed that Harry was the one making it happen. Something had upset him and his magic was lashing out.

Draco grabbed a hold of his shoulders and shook him but Harry would not wake. Finally, he took out his wand and cast "Enervate!"

Pools of cloudy emerald were visible beneath his sooty lashes. As Harry became more aware of his surroundings, the lights began to still, the screens came back on and Draco could make out the pilot assuring the passengers that everything was fine.

"Harry, what do you think you're doing? You nearly sent us to our deaths!" Draco stressed, the reality of it starting to set in for him. Sure, in the worst case they could have Apparated from there, but what about the baby? Draco didn't want to take any chances with its life.

And certainly Harry or the other Gryffindors would not have left the other passengers to get hurt; they would probably had side-Apparated them to safety as well, breaking countless laws in the process.

"Ok, calm down. Every thing's fine," he said to himself, trying to calm down. Harry, on the other hand, made had no response to Draco's question.

"Harry!" Draco cried out, concerned, gasping when Harry threw himself across the seat as much as he could and took him in his arms.

"Harry, look at me," he whispered urgently, trying to get him to rise so he could look him in the eye.

But Harry didn't budge and he barely heard him whisper "I can't lose you! I can't lose either of you!"

"Oh hell, Harry!" His heart clenched in his throat. Harry's feeling of abandonment never ceased and it was painful to realise the fear still lived so close to the surface.

Draco lifted the arm rest and cupped the back of the Harry's head, urging him to stretch across the seat and lay his head on his lap. Harry turned his head to face him and he pressed his face into Draco's slightly rounded belly.

"Fine, Potter, you win. We'll go see Pomfrey when we arrive," Draco said softly.

"No need for the dramatics. Look, you scared all the Muggles," he added in a less serious tone.

Indeed, all the other passengers seemed frazzled and Draco could see Hermione murmuring reassuring things to those around her while throwing questioning looks in his direction.

"Everything okay?" she mouthed to him and as he ran his hand across Harry's slightly trembling shoulders.

All he could do was nod.


	16. Chapter 16

**Title: Angel on the Cover **  
**Author: chibidraco  
Beta: noscrubs12345  
Disclaimer:** Harry Potter and all related characters do not belong to me.  
**Warnings:** mpreg  
**  
Summary: **Harry Potter has left for the muggle world a year after he defeats Voldemort.  
Draco Malfoy struggles to make a life for himself as he has to find employment, while dealing with the biological present that Harry left behind. (My memory is purposely selective when it comes to HBP- you'll see )

* * *

The airport was crawling with Muggles, murmurs and stifled tears, and unrestrained laughter and running footsteps echoed in the large air conditioned structure. Draco found it interesting the way they all interacted with each other--the prolonged goodbyes, the cherished reunions, and the overwhelming sense of adventure waiting just beyond the gates and terminals. Having been raised in a world where travelling required only seconds, it was strange to see the people trying to hang on to each other for as long as they could.

Such was the case with Hermione and Harry, who almost behaved as if they forgot for a moment that they were not Muggles and could Apparate next to one another at a moments notice. Draco saw the same confusion in Ron's expression as he observed the two friends embrace. The blond accepted Hermione's tender hug and apologies for his abduction with a slight smile.

He was back but it didn't feel like it yet, wouldn't feel like it until they were pulling up into their driveway and maybe not even then. Maybe Draco wouldn't feel he was truly home until his finely tailored clothing was nestled next to Harry's durable cotton in the wardrobe where they belonged. Maybe then he could shake off the nomadic feeling he'd slipped into during these last few months.

Harry stubbornly dragged both of their suitcases up the pavement behind him, not wanting Draco to exert any force. The blond rolled his eyes and covertly cast a charm on the heavy bags to lighten their load. Stepping out into the sunshine, he shielded his eyes from the light and observed Harry waving down a taxi. After loading the suitcases into the cab's boot the brunet turned and extended a hand towards him, tenderly squeezing his palm as Draco took it and lead him into the car.

X x x X x x X

"Potter, stop hassling the woman!" Draco ordered in exasperation as Harry interrupted Madam Pomfrey's examination for the umpteenth time.

Poppy hid a smile as she bent over the man, running her wand gently over his stomach where he lay on the hospital bed.

"I'm sorry, Poppy," Harry apologised sheepishly, rubbing the back of his head.

"Don't be, dear. I seem to remember someone else asking just these questions not too long ago," she teased with a wink in Draco's direction, who blushed but refused to comment.

"Well, gentlemen, I'm very happy to say that the little one is perfectly fine. Development is right on schedule and even your initial weight gain issue seem to be resolving itself slowly," Poppy gave Draco a meaningful look.

"Draco? You weren't gaining enough weight?" Harry asked worriedly.

"It's not like I was trying to keep the weight off," Draco waved off the concern, "and I ate more to compensate for it."

"It's fine, Harry. His body looks like it's getting used to the idea of being pregnant, so he should keep gaining the appropriate weight," Poppy smiled, patting the nervous man's shoulder.

When Poppy reached for the cleansing wipes to clean the ultrasound potion off Draco's belly, Harry took it gently from her hands and made soft, careful strokes on the tiny mound.

Draco propped himself on is elbows to look at Harry performing his ministrations with a small smile.

Feeling the moment had become too intimate to be witnessed by a spectator, Poppy slipped unnoticed from the infirmary.

"Are you trying to get a shine out of the thing? It already looks like a full moon," Draco teased softly.

Harry gazed at him with a strange expression on his face. "Not nearly a full moon. Maybe just a half," he smiled, patting the pale flesh under his hand.

"I've missed so much already, haven't I?" Harry said morosely.

"You have," Draco agreed. "Let that be a lesson to you the next time you think that you can leave me behind."

"I'll never leave you again," Harry vowed, sealing his declaration with a kiss to Draco's stomach before capturing the man's lips.

X x x X x x X

Unfortunately, a week and a half later the reality of his statement set in for Draco. The infuriating man spent literally almost every waking moment with him, making sure he ate until he felt uncomfortably stuffed, making him rest from his busy schedule of doing nothing, and generally being his shadow.

Draco felt at the end of his rope: any request to send the man to visit his friends went unanswered, and when he did visit them, if wasn't long enough to satisfy him. He had taken to pretending to nap in the middle of the day so he could get some peace and quiet. At first he welcomed the attention-- he had missed Harry to the point of distraction and it had been hard to contemplate raising their child alone--but enough was enough. Something had to be done and soon to help calm him of his overprotective and crowding behaviour.

Laying in bed awake and thinking about Harry's mollycoddling, the blond turned as quietly as he could to avoid rustling the sheets and stared off into the distance pondering the situation. He was about to close his eyes in defeat and rest for real when he had an epiphany. He grasped the Evening Prophet off the nightstand and brought it close to his face and smiled wide as he began to plot...

X xx x X x x x X

"When Malfoy informed me you were considering coming back I nearly hit the roof!" Shacklebolt announced jovially from across his large desk.

Harry narrowed his eyes at him from the leather wingback chair the Minister had all but shoved him into upon entering his office.

"Congratulations by the way! He mentioned you're going to be a father," Shacklebolt stood to grasp Harry's shoulder, lightly shaking him in excitement.

Harry couldn't help but beam at that, mollifying the anger he felt at his prior statement. Leaving that morning, he had no idea that the missive he had been sent from the Ministry had been orchestrated by Draco, but at the same time he wasn't surprised.

"Seeing that you're about to become a family man, Harry, we wouldn't put you on any active cases, maybe searching for some intelligence on those Death Eaters that have gone into hiding," Shacklebolt explained earnestly. "Your hours are flexible and your own to manage besides the weekly meetings you'll have with me to go over your progress and any help you may need.

Look, Harry, I know that the war left a lasting impression on you. Merlin, it did that to everyone but I am horribly understaffed. We're trying to get all of this behind us but it's f hard with all of these reminders about, you know?"

Harry nodded; knew all about reminders and was painfully aware of some of his own recollections that constantly swarmed about in his head.

"I don't see how me doing this would really make a difference," Harry replied, purposely avoiding any mention of his involvement or feelings about the war.

"Trust me, Potter, knowing you're on these cases would be a load of weight off my shoulders."

Seeing the brooding look on Harry's face, he regretted mentioning the war, well aware of the meetings the man had with the Ministry psychiatrist he had sought out after the war.

The older man sighed and tried to be more understanding. "But I understand you have done enough for the Ministry. Hell, you've done more than can ever be repaid by any wizard or witch in any amount of lifetimes."

Seeing Harry's frown he hastily added, "Harry, if you don't want to do this you don't have to. I don't want it to seem like I'm trying to guilt you into this. Like I said, you don't owe us anything."

There was an awkward pause and Shacklebolt looked uncertainly at his desk, wondering if he had pushed the young man too far, so he was surprised when he suddenly asked a question.

"I would just be handling closing cases, not ones with suspected active attacks going on or plotting? Just simply flushing out hiding rats and sending them to Azkaban?" Harry's tone was serious.

"Nothing more than that," Shacklebolt assured him, relieved that it seemed the man was not shooting the idea down completely and seemed to be considering it.

Harry nodded but quietly replied, "I'll think about it and I'll let you know my decision within the week."

He stood up, the other man mirroring his actions. They shook hands firmly and with one final well wish, Harry Potter left the office and made his way home.

X x x X x x X

"That was a shitty thing to do, Draco," Harry announced upon finding the man on the couch with his feet up on the coffee table.

The blond shrugged, scooping a spoonful of yogurt into his mouth before choosing to reply. "So are you going to take it?"

"Isn't that what you want? Isn't that why you let me go there thinking they were calling me in while you orchestrated all this?" Harry asked petulantly, remaining on his feet.

Draco set his midday snack aside and lifted himself to a sitting position "What I want Harry is for you to have something to do, to get out a little and to stop hovering over me," he explained calmly.

"So you don't want me around you?" Harry asked with a hurt face. "I knew you didn't forgive me about leaving you--"

"Potter, that's in the past. You were a bloody idiot but that's not what this is about. I love your daft self, but if you keep shadowing me and watching my every move like a hawk, I'm going to have to hex you.

"I'm fine and the baby is fine. We need to start getting into a normal routine again, at least as normal as possible for us." Draco patted the seat next to him on the settee and Harry plopped down in defeat.

"I thought you hated me working at the Ministry," Harry threw the observation in his face.

"Not the Ministry, no. I just thought it was ridiculous for you to continue fighting evil like some Muggle superhero--as if you're the only one who can deal with the Death Eaters still out there. Those days are over now. You're just Harry, not the bloody Boy-Who-Lived." He smiled when Harry laid his tan hand over his and squeezed in appreciation.

"Then why did you set that meeting with Kingsley up?" Harry asked, confused.

"Because I haven't forgotten your morbid little mural at that shack you called a home, much less those memories in your Pensieve. I don't think I want to know how often you watched those," Draco confessed with a shudder.

"Harry, I know about the Ministry doctor." He held on tightly to both of Harry's hands, refusing to let go when Harry tried to flee.

"I think it's a great idea, just a little surprised you were wise enough to think of it," he teased, slowly pulling Harry closer. "You've gone through some awful things, Harry, and anyone--_anyone_--would react negatively after being touched by that kind of darkness. You need to work these things out--this martyr complex and this unreasonable guilt, and maybe by closing these cases you'll be able to close that chapter of your life."

Draco drew both his hands to his stomach and pressed them gently on the mound. "Because there are more important things that are coming and, quite frankly, Potter, there's only enough room for one attention hog in this relationship and I'm not about to share."

Harry released a tearful laugh, thankful for Draco's tension breaker. How he loved this man, who pulled out all the stops and who told him how stupid he was being but made him feel so important at the same time.

He rubbed his now free hands on Draco's stomach, marvelling once more at their unborn child and realised that Draco was right. He needed to work out these issues because his own life had been touched by darkness at an early age and he yearned for so much more for their child.

Harry squeezed Draco to him tenderly.

"Thank you" he whispered in the shell of his ear.

A/N: Let me know what you guys thought, hopefully you liked. I know its been a long time but I'm seeing the light at the end of the road and I can see whats in my head being translated into ink. :D

**  
**


	17. Chapter 17

**A/N  
Angel on the Cover was the first fic I ever wrote and its about time I get the rest of this out of my brain and onto paper :)  
I should have the next chapter of Harry's Dirty Little Secrets next week .**

Big Thanks and hugs to noscrubs12345 for all your help and listening to my rants and helping me iron out the plot to both of these stories :D  


* * *

It was an ideal day to eat at an open air café. The sun was out and there was a wonderful cool breeze lingering in the air. But although it was tempting to escape to the outdoors, there were far too many intrusive reporters waiting to descend down upon them in a public arena to make the idea feasible. So instead, they decided to entertain their guests in their flat and, although it was a get-together to celebrate the pair's return, it wasn't long before the Slytherins made their own section in the living room's most comfortable seating.

"Hey!" Ron protested after he returned from getting himself a snack and found Pansy Parkinson strewn across the couch.

"Yes?" she peered up at him.

"I was sitting there!" Ron pointed out.

"And now you're standing," Pansy replied as if speaking to a small child.

"But--" the redhead sputtered.

Draco just watched the proceedings from his armchair.

"Why are you here anyway?" Ron complained, shoving a couple digestives into his mouth.

"You know you missed me, Weasley. No need to fuss. You can sit right here," she offered, patting her lap and gave him a wink.

"Careful there, Pans. He is a married man," Draco warned, laughing at the look on Ron's face.

"So?" Pansy dismissed the concern. "I was just offering him a reminder of our time together."

Ron's face became a molten red hue. "I told you stop saying that stuff! People are going to think all kind of things. Bad things. Nothing happened!" he stressed, wiping his hands agitatedly on his pants.

"Malfoy, tell her to play nice?" he asked.

"This is Pansy being cordial," Draco shrugged.

Ron shook his head in frustration and started walking away but not before throwing Pansy another warning. "No more of that. I'm a married man for Merlin's sake."

"Don't worry, Won Won. I won't tell Granger." Pansy intended it to sound simpering but it was ruined by her shark-like smile.

The Syltherins watched as he stomped away in the direction of the kitchen where Harry was talking to Luna, their laughter following him.

"Harry, why are the Slytherins setting up a headquarters here?" he complained loudly.

The brunet smiled and made eye contact with his lover across the flat. Smiling widely at the blond, who seemed in a better mood than he had been the last couple of days, he shrugged and replied easily, "Because the Prince of Slytherin lives here, mate."

Draco smiled back. When it came to Harry, smiling came so naturally. Real smiles, without falsity or disdain, and, while he still regularly used his trademark smirks, he always found himself smiling more easily.

"You really shouldn't tease him like that," Blaise was telling Pansy, returning from the refreshment table himself and handing Draco his glass.

"Is it my fault he riles so easily? One hols party, too much butterbeer and one horrifying moment later he's kissing me and calling me Hermione." Pansy gave a theatrical shudder.

"You never told him that, did you? That he thought you were Granger?" Draco asked suddenly.

"Of course not. That would take the fun out of it. Now _why did we_ have to meet in your love nest?"

Draco shook his head and took a sip of his water. "Did you not see the horde of reporters standing outside the fence?" he asked sarcastically.

"Of course she did. She preened for them for almost ten minutes," Blaise said, ignoring her pointed look.

"So what? Once we made it into the restaurant the wards would have stopped them from coming in after us," the woman complained.

"I don't think I could deal with Skeeter and her counterparts without hexing her, and I'm not in the mood to deal with anymore of the Ministry. Harry has already been in and out of our Ministry and the American one these past few days," Draco clarified.

"What exactly did the Golden Boy do that had you living in New York as a Muggle?" Pansy asked with none of the joviality from before. "You disappeared so quickly and there was a lot of talk going around."

"We had a row. And of course he came back and begged for forgiveness. Although he did send the duo to plead his case first, hence the misunderstanding with the Muggle authorities." His eyes bore into hers, making it very clear he was saying nothing else on the matter.

"Won Won always did have a way of messing things up," Pansy agreed, acknowledging his unsaid message.

"I'm seeing someone." Blaise made the statement more than content to change the subject, too familiar with Draco's protectiveness when it came to his relationship with the Boy-Who-Lived.

"Really? Who's your new paramour?" Draco asked with interest.

"Seamus Finnegan." Blaise motioned with his chin towards a sandy haired man that stood in the Gryffindor circle.

"The one who forever had things explode in his face at Hogwarts?" Pansy added.

Draco remembered him: he was always attempting to turn water into whiskey and other such things. "Maybe that's why Blaise likes him so much?" he said slyly, watching Pansy catch on to his meaning.

Blaise's lips slid up sensuously into a most satisfied smirk that seemed to prove Draco's theory.

"He's very fiery," Blaise admitted, "and we must expand our horizons and sample with variety, regardless of house affiliation." The words were causal but something in the way he watched Finnegan made it seem like more.

"Is it serious?" Draco asked with genuine curiosity.

"They've been seeing each other almost since you left," Pansy confided.

Draco thought about that for a minute. Blaise was the epitome to him of tall, dark and handsome. Certainly eye catching. But one thing about Blaise was that he rarely spoke; he just had a presence that didn't let you forget he was there but he didn't bother with wordy conversations. Finnegan, on the other hand, spoke nonstop and was boisterous and theatrical. But he'd seen odder pairs and he guessed Finnegan filled Blaise's silences and his friend seemed happy enough.

"Gryffindors are not all that bad, Pansy. They do love to dote on you and have no qualms of showing you how they feel about you." Blaise nodded in agreement.

Draco didn't miss the way that Blaise fingered a watch on his wrist.

"Yes, but they are also horribly stupid at times. Always running into things without thinking to save somebody," Pansy pointed out.

Draco didn't reply, remembering many times when his lover's impetuousness was to their benefit.

"What is Potter going to do now?" the dark skinned man asked, grabbing another scone off the table.

Draco acknowledged the obvious connection to his lover and his habit of leaping without looking. "He's returning to the Ministry to help Shacklebolt."

"How was the little journey into the Muggle world, Draco?" Pansy asked, more interested in knowing more of Draco's time there than Potter's next move. "I saw some of your pictures and you look all right, but are you really going to parade about for Muggles as a living?" Pansy made a face.

"Not as memorable as your trip. And I don't know--I find that Muggles can be misunderstood and can really do some amazing things. Don't you agree?" Draco smiled saccharinely.

He could tell Pansy was struggling not to cover her face. Sometime after the war settled, Pansy had returned from a holiday and, much to the amazement of the people that knew her, she now sported a delicate new addition. Her former pug-like nose was gone--not that it would be missed--and its replacement was very admirable indeed.

Draco and Blaise were aware that Pansy had not taken action before because there were no real potions or spells that could have remedied her situation. Which had only left a Muggle alternative that Granger had been too eager to enlighten them on. She still had not forgotten the way Pansy teased her about her teeth at Hogwarts. Rhinoplasty, she had said triumphantly, was Muggle surgery to reconstruct the nose.

And it didn't take long for the Slytherins to call Pansy on it.

"Shut up, Blaise." Pansy elbowed him sharply to stop him from laughing.

"You're becoming more and more plebeian now that you're shagging a Gryffindor. Didn't you learn anything from Draco's situation?" she asked scathingly.

Draco smiled to himself. It had been a while since he had been able to see his friends and he missed their biting sarcasm because sharpening his wit against Gryffindors was almost too easy.

"Of course he did. Why do you think he looks so satisfied?" Draco countered.

"Maybe you should get one, Pansy. You've seemed a little cattier than usual," Blaise asked finally.

Draco's attention wandered for a bit while the pair argued, taking in their flat. It was starting to look lived in again. Harry and he had purchased the flat when the war effort was finally over. Harry had gifted Grimmauld Place to Remus and his wife Tonks before their son Teddy was born, and he and Draco hadn't wanted to move into Malfoy Manor.

But as much as he liked it, he knew that they should start considering moving into something bigger and preferably with a garden.

"--I was not obsessed with Draco!" Pansy's outrageous protest broke into his thoughts.

Both men looked at one another and shared a laugh. "Yes, you were, Pansy."

"I was not obsessed. I was attracted to you, but that's all in the past. How could I date anyone that was prettier than me?" she waved off.

"Not to mention the fact that he was gay and not interested in you anyway," Blaise added supportingly.

"Blaise, if you don't shut up…."

Loud laughter drew the trio's attention to Ron who seemed to have returned to them in time to catch Blaise's comment.

"Not so nice is it, Parkinson?" Ron crowed, satisfied that she was getting as frazzled as she was. Then something in Draco's hands caught his attention. "Malfoy, you shouldn't drink that. It's bad for the baby!" Ron exclaimed.

"You're pregnant?" Pansy hissed and then there was a shocked silence that enveloped the room.

"Weasley!" Draco exhaled but he couldn't hold on to his exasperation for much longer when he looked towards Harry and the man delivered a chagrined smile and rubbed the back of his head.

Damn Harry for being so obliviously charming. He felt his irritation ease away. They had already told Severus and Remus, the parental figures in their lives, and it wasn't as if it was bad news and people would eventually start to notice as the pregnancy progressed.

"Yes, Pansy, I am. And it's just water, Weasley." Draco gave it a moment but he and Harry were swarmed soon enough.

He could see the handshakes and hugs coming and the only thing that saved him from the overt shows of affection was the barrier that Blaise and Pansy formed around him.

"Congratulations, Draco. It is congratulations, right?" Vincent asked, finally separating himself from the food table.

"Yes, Vincent. Felicitations are in order."

Gregory nodded his congratulations before pulling Vincent back to their table.

"What is he giving you?" Pansy demanded.

Draco arched a curious brow.

"In return for ruining your figure and saddling you with a brat," she clarified.

"His lifelong fealty and all the cattle I could possibly want," Draco answered dryly.

"Pansy, Draco's not giving Harry an heir. He's starting a family," Blaise correctly interpreted. "It's a happy event."

Pansy peered at him and then turned her head to call out, "Potter, come over here!"

Harry looked at Pansy oddly but made his way over to stand next to Draco.

"So, Potter, when are you going to marry him?" she demanded.

"Umm… I ….We haven't discussed it yet," Harry answered with a flustered shrug.

"Well, I hope it's before the baby comes. Draco may not be a pureblood enthusiast anymore, but Draco is old fashioned that way. I'm sure he would prefer to be married before the child makes its appearance," Pansy insisted.

"I--"

"Unless you're not serious about him and don't care if people start saying he was good enough to go to bed with but not to marry?" she accused.

"That's enough, Pansy. I don't need you to defend my honour." Draco rolled his eyes, but patted her on the shoulder to show his appreciation at her unneeded intervention.

"I knew you were expecting, Draco, when I saw you glowing but I didn't want to spoil the surprise," Luna said softly with her usual dreamy cadence, appearing behind Draco.

"You think so?" Harry asked, turning to inspect Draco's profile for that expectant glow. "His skin does seem more flawless than usual."

"No, his nose, Harry," Luna corrected. "It's glowing the prettiest blue colour. That happens, you know you're expecting. Your nose glows."

"Like that bloody reindeer from the Muggle Christmas stories?" Ron guffawed.

Draco rolled his eyes at Ron's comment but turned to thank Luna. He was already used to Luna's eccentricity and, more often than not, he was almost certain that she saw things other people didn't.

With Luna's presence and Ron's contagious laughter the previous tension was dispelled and the two groups slowly merged as the guests offered the pair well wishes and congratulations.

X x x X x x X

Later Harry and Draco lay in their bed, entwined with one another and Draco using Harry's arm as a pillow.

"I was happy to see them again," Draco stated quietly.

The brunet inclined his head and motioned for him to continue.

"You know that Pansy and Blaise's families left once the war began?" Harry nodded. "And I was happy that they were not involved--when I wasn't angry that I had been dragged into it, that is. But even when I wished that we could have switched places, I still missed them. Vince and Greg turned out to be more than I thought but it's different with them."

"At least they remember their names now and I think that they might even know how to spell them," Harry teased, accepting Draco's punch to his shoulder.

"They are not the most titillating conversationalists," Draco agreed. "So it was nice once you killed him that they came back – but I hadn't realised that I missed them these last few months." Draco conceded that it was probably because Harry was the person on his mind at the time.

"It's good you're still friends," Harry acknowledged, running his fingers through Draco's soft locks.

"It's only logical. They weren't particularly supporters of You-Know-Who." He ignored Harry's automatic correction of "Tom." "And when they came back to England it stood to reason that we would resume our friendship and I would be too knowledgeable of an enemy for them," Draco replied, arching against Harry's side in contentment from the pleasure of having his hair stroked.

Harry's friendships may have been forged in courageous acts and mushy stuff that made them declare their loyalty to one another, but Slytherins were different.

"So you're saying that you remain friends because there are things that you know about each other that could ruin you if you became enemies?" Harry asked, applying a little more pressure with his fingers.

"Exactly. We see the benefit in our continued interaction. They amuse me and they get what they need from my association."

"That sounds so cold," Harry murmured, manoeuvring to press a kiss to the crook of Draco's neck.

"It's just makes sense. You automatically assume I meant monetary satisfaction or a better position in society, but Crabbe and Goyle offer me neither and yet they are still in my life," Draco pointed out, helping Harry undo the buttons on his silk pyjama top.

"They appreciate my wit and they do not bore me," he said, relishing the feel of Harry's hands smoothing along his sides.

"You mean you like them as people?" Harry teased, fully removing Draco's shirt.

"They have their moments," Draco replied without spite.

"Yeah, and I'm sure you get a kick out of Pansy torturing poor Ron." The self satisfied smirk was enough to make Harry's cotton pants tighten more but he was reminded of something.

"About what Pansy said..." Harry began, pausing in his movements.

"Never mind. Don't let her pressure you," Draco waved it off.

"No, Draco I wanted to tell you," Harry insisted, removing himself from above Draco and settling himself on his side propped on his elbow. "It's not that she had me thinking about it. I was ready to marry you when we finished school but I thought it was too soon for you. You are worth so much more than I can ever say and I never felt that you were casual or that I didn't want to marry you. I would marry you right now!" he said emphatically.

"That has to be the worst proposal ever, Potter," Draco deadpanned.

"You don't want to?" Harry mumbled.

"Of course I do, you idiot. You just don't do anything the normal way, do you, Harry? You fall in love, then get scared off by a dream, abandoning me in the process, and then end up proposing after Pansy guilts you into it," Draco teased, dipping his hand into the front of Harry's pyjama bottoms.

Harry groaned at his touch but managed to gasp, "Not guilt."

"I know." Draco smiled softly, pausing in his ministrations. "Of course I'll bond with you Harry, but because I want to."

"And I do prefer to have irrefutable proof that you belong to me," Draco confided, making his way down Harry's chest. He pulled of his bottoms as he went.

"That all of you belongs to me," Draco murmured before enclosing Harry in his mouth.

* * *

Hope you enjoyed, let me know what you thought :D


	18. Chapter 18

**Beta: noscrubs12345  
Disclaimer:** Harry Potter and all related characters do not belong to me.  
**Warnings:** mpreg  
**  
Word Count 4,570 **

A/N : Hope you enjoyed and that the length made up for the long wait  
Let me know what you thought :D

* * *

A sound wakened him from his slumber, and, as he gained consciousness, he realised it was the owl tapping at the window.

Draco could easily recognise the messenger belonged to his godfather and slid out of bed quickly to grab the message from the surly bird. Avoiding a nip on his fingers, he waved him off with a curt command of "You know where the food is." The owl's only reply was a haughty toss of its ruffled head, but he nevertheless flew in the direction of the kitchen.

He unfolded the parchment and read it quickly.

_Draco, you are expected at my home this afternoon. That is, if you can spare a moment from your busy schedule of displaying your under things in Muggle publications. _

- _Severus_

A smile was inevitable under such circumstances. The message took a bit longer than he expected--it was almost a month after their return.

Severus had always been aware of his whereabouts, a fact that still puzzled Draco and reinforced the idea that there was some type of tracing ingredient in the potions he supplied for him. Maybe in the hair tonics?

Regardless of his disapproval of Draco's chosen profession in the Muggle world, he had kept his word and had not sent the Gryffindors on his trail. Although Draco admitted ruefully that hiding information the lions wanted might have just been an added bonus.

Draco grabbed a Biro off the nightstand--he'd grown fond of Muggle pens--and added a quick note to the bottom before folding the parchment and heading downstairs.

With a quick pet to his eagle owl's head, he sent Iris on her way with his message. A quick glance at their clock shocked him. It wasn't too late but he'd always been an early riser and it was about time that he shook off the sloth-like behaviour and got his affairs in order.

He took a quick shower and freshened up before tackling the large stack of post gathered on the corner of their kitchen table.

Amongst the invitations addressed to Harry for various functions he easily spotted a letter from his solicitor. This was it, the Ministry finally deciding to cease their foolishness and complete their investigation.

His solicitor had included a list of the bank accounts and their worth along with a list of not only his properties but Harry's as well. He made notes of all things he would need to settle with the goblins at Gringotts as he reviewed each account and property.

The Ministry had refused to allow funds to be distributed for the minimal upkeep of the holdings and one of the first things Draco would have to do was arrange for it to resume. He didn't worry about the house elves' wellbeing because he was sure Granger made certain they were fed and taken care of in his absence.

She had never gotten over their refusal to leave the Malfoy properties. They had worked for his family for generations and they saw it as the ultimate insult that she wanted them to leave. They had felt as if she were questioning their work ethic, though she had been able to convince them to adopt work schedules and accept payment. Draco was sure they had not spent a galleon of it. For his part, he knew they deserved better treatment, and in honour of Dobby, who had done so much for Harry, he strove to treat them as he would have the late elf.

For the most part, it was easy. The chateau in France, the hill top mansion in Greece, they were all splendid, but they had managed themselves since before he was born and required very little thought.

He left the hardest parts for last.

He knew that Harry would want to re-gift Grimmauld Place to Remus, but he knew with certainty that Severus would drag his feet about moving into the Black's ancestral home. Fortunately for Harry, Draco knew just what to say to make the struggle minimal. He would suggest that Harry gift it to them and he would remind them that, as the closest living Black heir, it was rightfully Teddy's.

That only left two properties.

He decided he had had enough for the moment and would decide later. Draco wondered how Harry was doing at work as he made his way up the stairs.

X x x X x x X

Harry, for his part, had to drag himself out of bed that morning. Which wasn't too unusual in itself--the condition of wallowing in despair and misery was often accompanied by early mornings. He had spent those last few months lingering in bed, clinging to his dreams and memories of Draco.

He figured it was more than fair to exchange those extra moments of sleep for waking up to Draco's sleeping face once more. Now at this ungodly hour of the morning, he was sitting at his desk trying to get started on his work. He'd been back for about three weeks and working on the cases at a slow but steady pace. He wanted to make a larger dent in the stack so he'd come in even earlier to make more progress, but it wasn't happening.

Harry had already been interrupted quite a few times by colleagues and friends, but it was his own thoughts that had held him back from glancing in the folders.

You see, Harry had woken up with marriage on his mind. Well, marriage and the disturbing image of Pansy and her ridiculously tall stilettos crushing his bollocks. He was sure the dream was a result of all those gentle reminders she'd sent him about marrying Draco these past weeks. Yet it wasn't the sharpness of Pansy's heels that unsettled him, but the knowledge that Draco did deserve more than a stuttering proposal and Harry vowed to make sure that he did the rest as he should.

"A ring," Harry said aloud triumphantly. Draco would need a ring, and that was a start in his efforts to make up for his bumbled proposal. He vowed to get the largest stone he could find in the jewellers to present to his love today. And with that thought, he stretched his tense body back and almost lost his balance before regaining it and grabbed the file on top of his stack, finally ready to work.

Just as he was taking a break an hour so later, he noticed out of the corner of his eye that their owl, Iris, was making her way into his office.

"You're supposed to drop those off in the lobby so they can sort them," he told the owl, but she stared him down a minute before he lifted his hands off the table in surrender.

"All right, all right. What do you have there?" he asked. Her only reply was dropping off the message and she departed with owlish drama, narrowly swooping above Ron's head as he entered the office.

"I thought I recognised that crazy bird," Ron muttered but then smiled. "You should have seen everyone's faces when she rushed by."

"I think she's got even more arrogant from living with Snape these last months," Harry shrugged.

"She's Draco's owl. She was bound to be have a big head," Ron smiled mischievously.

Harry rolled his eyes before reading the message. He took a moment and then let out a groan.

"What's wrong, mate?" Ron asked, concerned. Harry had slumped own in his chair and seemed worried.

"We've been summoned to Spinner's End," Harry replied, waving the paper.

"Oh, Snape." Ron's mouth curled in a reflexive show of distaste.

"I didn't really think about seeing Snape, honesly. I just realised that I have to explain everything to Remus," Harry explained, scratching his neck nervously.

"Right, he's going to probably lecture you a bit but then it will be okay," Ron reassured him. "If I were you, I'd be more concerned about what Snape will have to say to you."

"I'm sure he'll have a few choice words for me, but he's not that bad," Harry replied, motioning Ron to sit in the chair in front of his desk.

"Really," Harry insisted in response to Ron's incredulous expression. "Well, as far as meddling mothers-in-law go," Harry added as an afterthought in jest.

Both men laughed at the simultaneous image of the man in Neville's grandmother's clothing.

Ron shook his head. "I still don't know how Remus can handle living over there and being in a relationship with him." He shuddered theatrically.

"I don't know that they are," Harry confessed. "They have some weird kind of thing going on. I don't know if it's because Remus was so lonely after he lost Tonks in the war and they kind of found each other…."

"…Draco thinks that it's because they've been broken by life to the point where only they can fully understand one another and somehow they compliment each other," Harry recited at last after thinking about it.

"If he says so, then I guess it was pretty decent for Snape to let Remus and Teddy move in with him when they got booted out of Grimmauld Place," Ron grudgingly admitted, "but I still don't understand why they were allowed to take it when Sirius left it to you." Ron's brow furrowed in confusion.

"You're telling me. I had no idea they had Remus and Teddy tossed out on the street. I went to the office when Hermione told me and they made excuses about Draco living there during the war, and because Narcissa was a Black, he had intimate knowledge of the home and could've hidden dangerous dark things in there."

"That's barmy," Ron scoffed.

"That's another thing I have to apologise for. I didn't realise I let that happen to Remus. They would have been out there on their own…." Harry shook his head, angry at himself for not being there to prove and protect Remus's claim to the house.

"We would have taken them in, mate. They're family," Ron assured him. "But before we could offer, he had already shacked up with Snape. He's not going to be mad at you, mate. He'll be relieved you're home where you belong," Ron said, hoping to ease the expression of torment on his friend's face.

"I guess, but he would be right to be angry," Harry argued.

"He won't be. If you were able to get back into Draco's good graces, Remus will be no problem. Just look out for Snape."

Harry laughed despite himself. Ron was right--he still needed to make amends, but he knew that if Draco had taken him back, then he had nothing to fear about this visit.

He suddenly remembered Draco's instructions. "Ron, could you come with me to Diagon Alley?"

"Sure," the red head agreed, instantly getting up from the seat. "I could use a break. What are you getting?"

Harry shrugged into his coat and grabbed his briefcase. "Draco reminded me I should bring Teddy a present."

Ron nodded understandingly.

"And I need to see a man about an engagement ring."

Harry laughed at the slack jaw expression on his friend's face before it turned ruddy, but amazingly he found himself in a tight hug and with a heartfelt congratulation in his ear.

X x x X x x X

Draco stumbled a bit out of the Floo, but Harry immediately steadied him. Since Draco could not Apparate, they were using a public Floo at a nearby restaurant. The ride itself did not unsettle Draco's stomach but the particular smell coming from the kitchen immediately assaulted his nostrils. He cupped his hand over his mouth and left Harry to deal with the compensation for using their Floo and waited outside for him.

He had not been a victim to morning sickness in a while and he was not eager for it to resume. Harry joined him outside and held out a cold goblet of water, rubbing his back gently while Draco regained his composure.

"Thank you," Draco said, handing the empty cup back. Harry went back in to return it and Draco smiled at this attentiveness.

"Was it the food? Are you okay?" Harry asked.

"'I'm fine. Let's go. We don't want to be late. Severus requires promptness."

"Yup. Can't give him another reason to hex me," Harry joked, reaching out to gently grasp his hand and begin their walk to Severus's house.

"He's not going to hex you," Draco assured him, looking forward.

"How are you so sure? The man and I have a history. He warned me if I ever hurt you he would make me regret it. I think leaving constitutes as hurting," Harry said pointedly.

"That was so long ago, Potter; he wouldn't hold a childish grudge this long."

Harry looked sideways at Draco, aghast. "Have you not heard about him and my father?"

"Okay, so sometimes he's very passionate and happens to have a good memory," Draco waved off.

Harry shook his head. "I know he doesn't hate me like he did before, but I'm still not his favourite person."

"He does like you, Harry. Just in small doses, and it's been months, so I'm sure he's built up some Potter resistance."

"He's going to hex me," Harry insisted.

"He won't," Draco repeated, seeing the house come into view at the beginning of the street. They went to the door and, before knocking, Draco turned to Harry. "Besides, if he's going to do anything, it wouldn't be anything as plebian as a hex. I would look out for any food or drinks he offers you; the man is a Potions Master, after all."

It did little to reassure the Gryffindor, but the appearance of Remus at the door broke off any response he would have made.

"Harry! Draco!" he cried, grabbing Harry in a hug first before shaking hands with Draco.

"Hey, Remus," Harry said, softly lowering his head, looking just like a guilty child having been caught doing mischief.

"Come on in. You can tell me all about your holiday," Remus smiled gently

Both men moved into the foyer while Remus took their coats and hung them on a rack.

"Follow me," he said, leading them into the hallway before turning into the first opening on the left. Harry and Draco's gazes immediately fell on the large armchair in the sitting room where Severus sat with five-year-old Teddy in his lap.

His hair was currently long and bore the limp, stringy appearance of the man holding the book that so captured his attention.

Severus noticed them first but he didn't say anything as he continued reading the story.

Teddy clapped when it ended, happy that Marvin the Muggle was safe to see another adventure.

"Another please?" he asked, tilting his chin up towards Severus.

"We follow our usual arrangement. One story and then it's off to bed with you," the Potions Master replied in a soft voice that he had never used to address his students.

"Okay," Teddy agreed easily. He suddenly looked up and noticed the guests.

"Uncle Harry! Uncle Draco!" he cried, climbing down from his perch, running over to the two men. Both smiled when his hair went from blond to messy brunet as he hugged them both.

"I missed you. I had a play at kindergarten. I got to be a piggy, but Dad and Sevy didn't let me change my nose to play it better." He pouted for a bit before smiling a gap-toothed smile. "They said the other kids would feel sad because they couldn't do it. Like how I can change my other stuffs."

"I'm sure they would have," Draco answered, smoothing the hair that was back to its original state of tawny gold.

"Hello, Severus," he greeted, standing from where he had been kneeling.

"Your manners are lacking, Potter's influence no doubt," he answered.

"You should be used to being ignored for Teddy," Harry teased, standing with his godson on his hip.

"So you did remember that he existed," Severus shot back in a casual manner.

"He never forgot, Severus," Remus interjected before the two men could begin an argument.

Looking at the little boy, Severus agreed, "We'll talk more after Teddy goes to bed."

"I'll take him," Remus offered, reaching for his son, who clung to Harry a little tighter.

"Don't wanna leave yet," he whined a little, looking at Harry and mimicking his emerald eyes.

"I'll come see you again soon, and I promise I'll come to your next play."

"And Uncle Draco too?" the little boy asked, rubbing his nose with the back of his hand.

"Me too," the blond reassured him. "Now go to sleep and if you're a good boy, your Dad and your Sevy can give you the present Harry bought you tomorrow." The blond ignored the glare that Severus sent in his direction.

"Okay." Teddy reached for his father. "Night, Sevy," he called over the broad shoulder.

"Goodnight, Teddy," Severus replied.

"Night, night," he waved to his uncles before his father carried him out of the room.

"And what present would that be?" Severus asked, eyebrow held aloft.

"This," Harry replied, unshrinking the object he retrieved from his pocket.

"Typical. Could you have possibly picked a gift more dangerous, Potter?" Severus complained when Harry restored the object to its original size.

"Every child should have a broom," Harry protested.

Severus rolled his eyes. "Not everyone is interested in that 'sport', Potter, and I loosely call it a sport, mind you."

Draco smiled and made himself comfortable on the couch.

"It is a sport. It's played around the world," Harry argued.

Severus dismissed this statement with a wave of his hand and his face settled into even sterner lines than his regular expression, which seemed quite an accomplishment. "So, what rock did you crawl out of, Potter? And are you back for good?"

Harry had expected the questions, but they still took him back. He wasn't sure if he was comfortable discussing his dreams with Snape. He looked to Draco for assistance and joined him on the couch.

"Let's wait for Remus to join us," Draco replied, easily patting Harry's thigh when he sat down.

"So, how are you godfather?" Draco asked politely.

Severus rolled his eyes at the distraction but answered, "Fine."

"How's your roommate situation going?" Draco smirked.

"Well enough. The wolf is driving me mad because he's frustrated that he can't find work, but he manages not to bring fleas into the house," he said, trying to seem nonchalant.

"Or the bed…" Draco muttered under his breath.

"What was that, Draco?" Severus asked, immediately leveling him with a look.

"Nothing," the blond replied innocently.

"He's still having trouble?" Harry asked, leaning forward with his hands on his knees.

"Not everyone is in agreement that a werewolf should work for them, even if they are war heroes," Severus jeered, disgusted with the situation.

"I'm used to it," Remus added from the doorway.

"You shouldn't have to be used to it," Harry said, upset at the injustice his friend endured.

"What do you plan to do until they get their heads out of their arses?" Draco asked.

"Work in a Muggle school as a teacher," Severus replied for him, clearly unimpressed at the idea.

"It's not a bad thing, and I need to start pulling my weight around here."

"It's not as if they'll pay you much, and we're doing fine," Severus replied dismissively. His words may have seemed brash but the men knew he meant that he didn't need Remus to pay him anything, but the other man was determined to contribute. Without a Muggle equivalent teaching certification of the high degree he had in the wizarding world, his pay would be negligible.

"To start but I would work my way up. Now, enough about me," Remus said, sitting on the armchair beside Severus. "How are both of you?"

"Well," Draco answered for them both and Harry smiled in agreement.

"Okay, now that we are done with the pleasantries, where were you, Potter?" Severus asked, looking intently at the man before him.

Harry glanced at both men before gaining strength from the caress of Draco's hand on his thigh.

He told them quietly of the prophetic nature of his dreams and, while he didn't go into detail over the dream involving Draco, he vaguely spoke that he felt he would bring danger to him if he stayed.

"I wanted to protect him," Harry finished.

"By leaving him?" Severus asked bitterly. "Potter, Draco was in danger the moment he took your side during the war. And now, years later, you decide to abandon him for his own good?" he asked disbelievingly.

"Severus, he had his reasons," Remus defended.

"Not very good ones," Severus argued.

Harry could feel himself growing angry. "It killed me to leave him, but I thought it was for the best," he said between clenched teeth.

"You thought wrong," Severus countered.

"Don't you think I know that? I…." Harry looked torn apart.

"That's enough, Severus. Harry loves Draco and he was only trying to protect him," Remus said, prepared to put an end to the goading.

Severus opened his mouth to protest, but he was interrupted.

"We're expecting a child," Draco delivered his news and leaned back contentedly.

It was almost comical how quickly they were silenced and how all three heads swiveled in his direction.

"What?!" Severus exclaimed.

"As the de facto grandparents, we thought you might like to know," the younger Slytherin added with a slight shrug.

"Is this true?" Severus turned to face Harry.

"Yes, Draco is pregnant."

"And you left!" he spat out disbelievingly.

"Severus, that's enough. Harry is here right now and at Draco's side. It is not our place to question it," Remus informed him firmly.

"No, it isn't," Draco said softly, standing up. "We've all done things that were foolish and made ill-thought-out decisions." He gazed pointedly at Severus's left forearm.

"I'm not going anywhere," Harry added, moving to Draco's side and sliding his hand into the other man's.

Severus took a moment to take it all in. He had seen the two young men start with an animosity that rivaled his own with James, had been witness to the change in their relationship and how their feelings shifted to those of love.

As much as it pained him to admit, he knew the Gryffindor was devoted to his godson and that, despite his horrible impetuousness, Draco considered him the best thing to happen to him. And knowing Draco, he would never settle for less than he deserved.

"I can only hope this child has your proficiency in potion making and not that of his sire," he said finally, gaining a smile from the expectant parents.

X x x X x x X

"I told you he didn't hate you and know that you know he wasn't going to hex you. I don't know why we couldn't just use their Floo."

"He could have still hexed me when I had my back turned to get in the fireplace," Harry said and Draco had to strain to hear his mumble.

"Well we have to hurry. The restaurant is sure to close soon," Draco urged Harry, who looked to be lost in thought and was trailing behind him.

Harry had motioned them down a different route back from Spinners End, but Draco could appreciate the way the trees draped their branches over this underdeveloped path. There were fairies taking residence in the leaves tonight and shining brilliantly now that the sun was setting in the distance.

"I didn't think that fairies gathered this close to wizarding communities," Draco commented, throwing another look over his shoulder at Harry.

"Do you like them, though?" Harry replied with an anxious expression on his face.

"I don't mind them. They are beautiful," Draco replied, feeling a little confused by the question.

He continued on looking at the little creatures dancing in odd formations in front of the trees. Slowly, one group began taking a shape that Draco recognised--it was a heart! And even though they were all circulating, the heart held itself together.

"Harry, look!" he said, turning to find Harry on his knees.

"Dr-Draco," he stuttered a bit, reaching a hand into the front pocket of his jeans. He struggled for a moment before he used his other hand to wrangle the ring box Draco suspected was in there.

It took him a moment, but the brunet was able to yank out a black box and in the process pried it open, sending the ring flying into the surrounding grass.

Draco let out unrestrained laugh at the sight of Harry scrambling on his knees and hands, trying to find the fallen ring in the grass.

He finally took pity on the man and held out his wand, saying, "accio ring," and held out a hand to catch the piece of jewellry that promptly flew to him. It was obviously an engagement ring and he took his time studying it. It was textured with what seemed to be alternating silver and diamond dragon scales forming a band around his finger.

"I'm sorry, Draco. I bollocksed that up again, but would you marry me?" Harry peered up at him with hopeful eyes from beneath his fringe.

He rolled the ring around his finger as if inspecting it because he couldn't help but tease Harry by making him wait.

"There's an inscription."

Draco's head rose to look at Harry and quickly looked inside the band where the script was too small to read. He touched the words with his index finger to get it to play.

"I love you despite your flaws, and I thank you for loving me in spite of mine," Harry's voice could be heard and Draco smiled tightly, playing it twice more before looking at the man who was still resting on his knees before him.

He swallowed, but his voice was still tight when he replied, "I will."

Harry leapt up from his position and grabbed Draco around the waist, drawing him into an embrace.

"Thank you," Harry whispered.

And Draco replied just as softly into his ear, "How could I not?"

He couldn't resist adding, "And I'll have you know that I don't have any flaws."

He cut off Harry's laugh with a kiss and they didn't speak for a while, Draco vaguely noticing that the fairies were flying around them.

X x x X x x X

It was pretty easy to find Draco Malfoy. The address on the discarded envelope that held a contract was correct if the group of reporters standing outside was any indication. He watched him walk by the kitchen window in intervals and he felt hatred seeping out from his very bones and into his bloodstream. Long seated pain washed over him in remembrance of all he had lost. Yet there he stood in his lavish flat. He'd heard that they'd released the Malfoy fortune to him as well, and now he was lapping up all the attention from the people that would have once spit on the Malfoy name. He was whoring himself to the wizarding world's saviour, so of course he was protected, constantly surrounded by people and their house was warded, so he knew he would have to wait. Wait and watch for an opportunity to exact his revenge.


	19. Chapter 19

Disclaimer in the first chapter

A/N: Expect to see more soon :D  
I've written about 2,000 words of the update to Harry's Dirty Little Secrets, two more one shots, and already have the next chapter to this planned out.

* * *

Chapter 19

John Fairfax was a tool. And Harry would be damned if he spoke to the man again to give him directions, let alone offer the tosser a window into his subconscious. Shacklebolt had decided to give him the whole day off when he had therapy, so he had nothing to do for another hour before he had to meet up with Draco.

So after the botched attempt at confiding himself in a stranger that seemed all too eager to pry into the "wizarding saviour's" head, he'd chosen to spend the time at the local park in the middle of the business quarter.

What was he going to do?

Dreams aside, he realised that he was holding on to dark memories from the past. The newspaper clippings hanging around his New York flat had always been hidden in their house, ready to remind him. He kept them, even though his recollections were far more detailed than those moving images captured in ink.

"Hi Harry."

Luna stood in front of him, eyes hidden behind a bizarre purple pair of glasses. They had what appeared to be tiny tentacle-like protrusions winding around the eyes and were held up solely on her nose.

"Hey Luna," he smiled, looking quizzically at her choice of eye wear.

"Research. Aren't they lovely, though?" she asked, taking off the frames and tucking them into her large bag and taking a seat next to him on the bench.

"Is that the newest Quibbler?" he asked without answering the question, pointing to the familiar heading sticking out from the top of her handbag.

"Why yes. Would you like one? We are going to do a piece on avoiding Wrackspurts when expecting. It can be very confusing for unborn babies you understand." She smiled sweetly in that way of hers.

Harry just nodded in agreement, wondering what Draco would have to say about the creatures trying to jumble their child's thoughts.

When he looked at Luna again, she was reaching a hand into her large handbag, pulling apart the edges and beginning to empty out handfuls of knickknacks and objects that seemed even stranger than her glasses. She noticed his gaze and nodded towards them. "They're to search for Crumple-Horned Snorkacks. They appear quite suddenly, so I always carry it around."

"Oh, okay. Good to have those, then." He wondered what she would do with them if she ever saw one, but it seemed that Luna still thought that she would, regardless if there was no proof they even existed.

"Are you hiding, Harry? … There you are!" she announced triumphantly, pulling a wrapped sandwich from her bag.

"Not so much hiding as running away," Harry admitted, stretching his legs out in front of him a bit. His stomach let out a protesting groan at the sight of her lunch, but he didn't want to move from his position.

"Both are survival techniques," she said, setting her food in her lap and returning to her bag.

"Why would you say that?" he asked, really curious.

"Your colour is a little dark, though it is better when Draco's around," she said matter-of-factly.

He stretched his fingers in front of him trying to see what she meant.

"Not your skin pigmentation, your being. It seems clouded in sadness sometimes." She unveiled her thermos and sat in on the bench between them.

"I'm trying to work on that," he revealed, tucking his hands into his coat. "I was actually meeting with someone today, but he wasn't any help. He was too busy with what I was than who I was"

"Your light is very bright and a lot of people want to warm by it," the blonde commented, concentrating on tearing the pieces of cellophane off her sandwich.

Harry shook his head in frustration. "You never treated me like that."

She cocked her head for a minute, then smiled slightly. "You told me we were friends once. Maybe that's why." She offered up the suggestion with a smile.

"You can't tell someone you're friends, Luna. You become friends," he replied, a little exasperated. "We are though, right?" he asked, suddenly unsure.

"Of course. It's very nice to be friends with you, Harry," she agreed easily, handing him a half of the sandwich that she was finally able to uncover.

Harry suddenly recalled when they had a similar conversation. It was on the train in sixth year when he was returning to school. Theodore Nott had discovered him in the overhang compartment and had proceeded to kick him in the face and leave him petrified in the train hallway.

She had found him then and helped him. She had had no overwhelming questions, just helped him out as if it was completely normal that he was lying bleeding under an invisibility cloak.

He took a bite out what turned out to be an egg sandwich, chewing for a moment without speaking. He accepted the cup she offered, holding it while she poured some of the drink from her thermos.

"How can you be still be so… you? After everything that happened during the war?" Harry asked, desperately needing to know how she had accomplished it. How everyone else seemed to be making it work. Everyone but him.

"They were dark times," her cadence was slow and soothing, "but it just became easier to see the light, in the lovely people in your club and in your Draco. It's better to focus on those, but it takes work for some."

"Why can't it just get better? How can I be a good father if I'm like this?" he wrung his hands, feeling like a failure.

"Father's aren't perfect," Luna said solemnly, "but they try their hardest to protect and love their children."

Harry cringed when he recalled the situation Xenophilius Lovegood was in when Luna had been kidnapped and how he had given them away. He hadn't blamed the man then and still didn't, now much less that he had his own child on the way. Had he been in the same position, he would have probably done something reckless to try to save everyone and get his child back.

"Besides, Harry," Luna smiled encouragingly, "children are the most sparkling creatures and yours is already making Draco shine quite splendidly."

Harry smiled widely at the reminder of her comment. He still couldn't see the supposed blue glow of Draco's nose and he figured he never would, but he was sure that Luna really did see it.

"I have to leave now, Harry. Daddy worries when I'm gone too long," she said, patting him on the shoulder.

Harry nodded his head in understanding. "Thank you."

"I was more than happy to share lunch, Harry."

Harry knew that she was well aware that she had shared more than just sustenance with him, that she had in her own words revealed a light that he needed to cling to while he worked out his lingering fears.

"There have been several nargle sightings around here, so I come every week on Wednesdays around this time. You're welcome to join me," she offered, standing up and pulling the strap of her bag firmly on her shoulder.

"I just might," he replied. He left the park with a lighter heart than he'd arrived. Now he had a partner to support and he knew that Draco would need him now that he was finally going to unseal the doors at Malfoy Manor. He didn't know how he himself would deal with the place, but he would be there for Draco.

X x x X x x X

"You don't have to do this," Harry reassured him, rubbing his tense back softly.

Draco smiled ruefully. "I should be telling you that."

"I'm fine. Are you?" Harry asked, continuing his soothing motion.

They stood at the entrance to the opulent manor, but Draco had made no motion to step inside. Harry had finally sat on the stoop, inviting Draco to take a seat on his lap.

"How was your session?" Draco asked instead of answering his question.

"A waste of time," Harry shrugged. "He's an arse."

Draco furrowed his eyebrows in concern. "Did he say something to you?" Merlin help that man if he dared to hurt Harry.

"No, he just didn't want to meet Harry."

"Do you want me to get him dismissed? The Malfoy name may not hold the influence it did, but I still have ways," he offered, completely serious.

"No, Draco. It's okay. He's just an idiot. I did see Luna though," he said, perking up a bit.

"How is she?" Draco asked with medium interest.

"She's doing good. I don't think much could keep that girl down," Harry said, then turned to the house behind him and added quite firmly, "Nope. I don't think much could."

Draco stiffened, remembering that during their incarceration, while his aunt kept him upstairs with her when they'd been captured, Harry and the others--including Luna--were thrown in the dungeons.

"Come on, love. Let some of my Gryffindor courage rub off on you." He delivered the outrageous statement with a leer. Draco looked down at the face that had lived in his dreams for so long and was so thankful that he was now in his reality.

With a tender kiss, he stood up, resolutely grabbing onto Harry's hand for a moment before reaching for the handle.

Had it always given off this austere feeling? Things seemed off, as if things were re-arranged.

"Master's back," a squeaky voice announced and sounds of Apparition filled the foyer as the fifteen house elves assembled in front of them in a straight line. They were all in matching tea cosy uniforms and seemed to be in good health.

"The Aurors. They came, Master, and they searched everything." The house elf twisted his ears.

"We hid what we could for Master," another assured.

"What do you mean? Did they take something?" Harry asked, stiffening beside him.

"Yes, Master Harry. They took most of Master Lucius's treasures."

"We tried to stop them, but they had an order from the Ministry," the smallest one declared.

"It's all right," Draco said softly. "I'm not really surprised." He could feel Harry's warm hand slide into his and he gave it a squeeze. "Besides, I doubt they took my grandfather's time pieces. Father probably had plenty of dark objects to keep them occupied."

A second appraisal of the room revealed what was different: accent rugs were missing, the statue that stood in the corner, paintings. That's why it looked so bare.

"We are working to putting all the pretty things back in their place, Master," the first elf who spoke informed him.

"Thank you, Drizzle. Harry and I are going to be looking around. You can continue." He began leading Harry up the stairway. There was one place he wanted to see as soon as possible.

His mother's bedroom.

Although his parents had slept in the same bed, she had kept a room for herself. Draco was relieved when the room seemed just like he had last seen it. The large mirror that he could recall praising his mother. Her coffer of jewels seemed to be intact when he rummaged through its contents, the closet full of her expensive robes and her small delicate shoes, the table top full of fragrance oils made for her personal use; it was all there, the ingredients to dress an affluent lady.

The only thing missing was the lady.

Draco felt a pang in his chest with such starting clarity he looked down to see if something had penetrated his chest, hitting his heart dead on. His mother had been gone for a while now, the pain of her loss receding but never fully dissipating. The thought came to him that it was worse for Harry, who probably yearned to know how his mother smelled, how soft she felt when she held him and the sound of her soothing voice as he went to sleep.

He looked to where Harry stood in the doorway and gave him a small smile. "Come on. I want to show you my room."

His bedroom was in the same state as his mother's. He was sure that the elves had managed to restore the rooms first.

"What's this?" Harry called, holding out a slightly ragged pearl coloured stuffed dragon.

"Mine," he said, reaching for it.

"You slept with this toy?" Harry teased.

"That is not a toy. He is an Antipodean Opaleye, and I'll have you know if he was sleeping in my bed at night it was only because he was

guarding it."

Harry's laughter filled the room.

"Really? And how did he do that exactly?"

"Drake breathes fire," he explained, watching with amusement when Harry pointed the snout away from him.

"The charm has bound to have worn out by now." Harry took that as permission to bring it close again.

"So Drake, huh?"

"Yes, Drake. My mother gave him to me when I was a baby and she wouldn't let my father throw it out once he got a little ragged."

"That's sweet. And the thought of little Draco cuddling Drake the dragon is even cuter," Harry commented, taking a seat on the edge of the bed.

"Just wait until I find some incriminating companion from your youth and we'll see who finds it just as cute," Draco threatened, blushing.

"Don't really have any of those," he said mater-of-factly. "The Durselys weren't exactly eager to give me gifts."

Draco swore. "You should have let me hex them, Harry."

Harry waved it off. "It's fine. It was a long time ago. I kind of made a peace with them, you know, towards the end of the war. They were awful people but I think they were just scared of what I could do."

"Your mother would have been so angry at your aunt," Draco declared.

"Probably," Harry acknowledged. "But I think she would have been relieved that I survived."

"I think you're right. I can't imagine that Bellatrix would have done a better job with me, and my mother would probably have been satisfied if she hadn't offered me up in some ritual to please her scaly lover," Draco admitted, but he didn't get the laugh he expected.

"Petunia was always jealous of my mother, you know? Because she could do magic and that made her special, which made my plain aunt even more unnoticeable."

Draco swallowed. "You can take care of Drake," he offered.

The smile on his face grew so large that Draco thought his face would split from the strain.

"I'll hold on to him, but only until the baby comes. The baby should have something from his grandmother."

Draco just nodded. "Let's go see the rest of the house."

The rest of the house kind of went like a blur, focusing more on the coldness that seemed steeped in its very floorboards.

The dining room seemed too large. He could remember when he was young, how he would try to sneak into his mother's lap to eat and how his father would rebuke that he wasn't baby anymore. He had been three at the time. The widely spaced out setting fit the silent dinners where he would try to impress his father with his accomplishments, amongst his mother's encouraging smiles.

"This looks big enough for the Ministry dinner," Harry commented, taking in the large room.

"It's been used for it in the past," Draco revealed.

"So, you have a smaller one just for family?" Harry asked.

"No, we ate here too, each to their corner." He pointed at three seats.

"I like our table better," Harry said, nudging a chair. "I can actually hear you."

"I do too."

Their last stop was his father's office. Draco just felt that he had to inspect the room where is father had spent so much time.

This room was ravaged. There were books missing from the bookshelves, no stationary left on the desk, and a quick look revealed empty desk drawers as well. But one item did remain in the room, and that was his father's cane. With his father's wand hidden in its ebony shaft, it stood propped up against the rich leather armchair.

"I think he cared about you," Harry broke the silence.

"Really?" he asked doubtfully.

"He could have given me up, when Voldemort told him to check on me. But he only asked if you were safe."

Draco knew that Harry had been kept alive by his father's silence. It was what spared his wand from being destroyed by the Ministry when the dark lord killed him upon discovering his duplicity.

Now that they had taken most of his father's possessions, the cane was the one thing that remained that really defined his father.

"He never struck me with this," Draco felt the need to tell Harry. His father thought corporal punishment was too plebeian for those in their social standing.

"That's good." He could tell Harry didn't really know what to respond to that.

"No, he preferred inflicting emotional pain and withholding affection," Draco murmured, touching the edge of tip of the snake's head. "Only when I displeased him, mind you. Though it seemed it was all I did, disappoint him." Draco shrugged.

"Never mind. It's nice to imagine that at the end he cared about me, at least a little bit." He drew his hand back and reached for Harry's instead.

"Masters, would you be needing anything?" Drizzle asked, appearing at the doorway.

"Something to drink please," Draco requested, exiting the room with Harry following behind.

"Me too," Harry added.

The elf was gone, reappearing not soon after with their beverages.

"Master?" he asked with apprehension.

"Yes?"

"We are working on the Quidditch pitch, sir, but we need to know if some of the equipment is can be fixed or if we should buy new ones."

"You have a Quidditch pitch?" Harry asked excitedly.

"Yeah," he waved off. "Why don't you go help Drizzle sort things out? I think I'm going to sit for a bit."

"Are you guys okay?" Harry's expression looked worried in an instant.

"We're fine, Harry," he reassured with a small laugh. "I just want to rest a moment."

Harry didn't look convinced. "Go," he urged.

"All right," he finally agreed.

"Come this way, Master Harry. I will show you where it is."

"Umm, do you think you could just call me Harry?" Draco heard him trail off as they walked away.

Once alone, he chose to go to his mother's sitting room. He gingerly took a seat on her chair with its plush cushion, positioned to catch the sun's rays. This was the last place he had seen her alive almost seven years ago. She had sat in this same seat; across from him, she had sacrificed herself to give him a chance at a life of his own choosing.

And what a life she'd given him. He had Harry and he had their child.

What would she think of being a grandmother?

Would his child have toddled about in the foyer, his mother running anxiously after him or her with her wand held aloft to prevent them from going up the stairs? Would his father have smiled at his son's progeny or have been horrified at the thought of the mix-blood child?

The sweet scene changed dramatically when he imagined Lucius coming around the bend, sneering at the child, causing the faceless baby to cry. The thought was startling.

Would Lucius have hated his child?

Would he have been able to set aside his pureblood pride to accept him?

Draco himself did not care one whit that his child was not going to be a pureblood – and it had taken those years of war and the reality of that hatred to sink that perspective in. His only concern would be that he always thought that they could be a danger to revealing their secrets to non-magical people. Would his father have been able to change his mind?

"That place was amazing," Harry announced, stepping into the room.

"I know. I used to play for hours on it," Draco replied, setting his drink on the table next to him.

"We should get going though, Draco. Our appointment with Pomfrey is in thirty minutes," Harry reminded him, coming to his side to offer a hand up.

Draco glared half-heartedly at the unneeded assistance. "Yes, I'm finished. Let's go."

He took in the space again, lingering in the foyer. Harry and he couldn't move into this place. Harry preferred the warmth of a home, and so did he, although he drew a line at the catastrophe the Weasley's called a house. Malfoy Manor held few good memories, especially after it was used for the Death Eaters to convene there and their friends were held hostage in its walls and, in Hermione's case, tortured here.

He would find a solution later. Right now he had more pleasant things to do.

"Let's go see our child," Draco announced, throwing open the door and beckoning Harry.

"Don't you think there's something voyeuristic about peeping into his private space?" Harry teased as they closed the door behind them, leaving behind another dark part of their past.

X x x X x x X

"A boy, Draco! A boy!" Harry nearly shouted.

"I heard, Harry," Draco smiled at his silly display.

Their appointment had gone splendidly, and their child--their son--had chosen to cooperate and reveal his gender. After enjoying dinner, they were resting on their sofa relaxing after their long day.

"He can hear us, Draco," Harry breathed.

"I know."

"Do you think he'll like a lullaby? I could sing but I'm kind of tone deaf. Can you sing?"

"Can't carry a note," Draco replied, leaning back to enjoy his feet being massaged in Harry's lap.

Draco was listening to Harry talk about how excited he was about the baby and how he looked forward to teaching him a multitude of things.

He was in a pretty fine mood himself, having seen his son on the sonogram machine Poppy had unearthed for them and having come up with a solution for the manor while Harry tried to wave at his son through the monitor as if he could see him.

Presently he was describing the torn picture Draco held of an infant Harry zooming around on his first broom to their son.

"You see your grandfather was a Quidditch player too, just like me and your papa. I have a feeling you're going to fly too," Harry declared, smiling at Draco.

"With his genes, he's bound to come flying out," Draco admitted. "I always was an amazing flier," Draco clarified lest Harry thought he was talking about him.

Harry laughed, squeezing his toes in his hand. "You were good, but I was better."

"You were just lucky. And who would catch the Snitch with his mouth?" Draco berated, pushing his other foot forward so Harry could give it the same treatment.

"What can I say? I have a talented mouth." Draco's eyes darkened from silver to grey and he ran the tip of his tongue across his own lips.

"You do," Draco agreed, leaning closer and capturing that skilful mouth with his own. Draco could feel Harry arranging his legs around his waist and he helped him by settling himself on Harry, gasping when he felt their arousals touch.

They separated but didn't part. "I hope he has your hair," Harry murmured, running his fingers in his hair.

"Your eyes," he continued.

"I prefer your eyes," Draco countered.

"I have my mother's eyes, so should our son," Harry teased, kissing the fist he trapped in his hand before it reached him.

"But I want him to have my nose," the brunet said impishly.

Draco eyes crossed a moment following Harry as he placed a kiss on his slightly pointed nose. "I have a regal nose!" he had to protest, but Harry just smiled and continued kissing him from the bridge of his nose to his cheeks.

"It fits you. All your body is especially well put together," Harry admitted, then he softly held his neck in his hands and angled Draco's mouth for another kiss.

Draco drowned in the sensations of Harry's tongue rubbing against his, fully exploring his mouth and the errant hands that travelled down to grab two handfuls of his arse, pulling him more firmly against him.

Harry let out a muffled groan and Draco felt himself become more and more excited.

Without stopping the kiss, the brunet moved forward until Draco was laid out on the couch. Then Harry took a moment and pulled back, sitting up and kneeling between the blond's legs.

"I adore you," Harry whispered and Draco could feel the happy tightness in his chest and he blamed the hormones for the watering of his eyes.

"Then worship me," Draco whispered, pulling him on top of him.

The hormones raging on in his body seemed to make his ministrations that much more effective on his sensitised skin. The hands on his skin, grabbing onto his hips, the nips on his throat and chest left behind red marks that were sure to bruise his pale skin. They were both lost in passion and Draco was giving as well as he got, biting Harry in the juncture of his neck just as a well aimed thrust brushed against his prostate.

Afterwards, when they curled on the couch with Harry behind him, tenderly brushing the swell of his stomach that seemed to have grown larger overnight, he knew that they belonged together.

That despite his dead father's disapproval of them, his son was perfect the way he was. Wizard or not, he was exactly as he should be, growing underneath his heart.

"Harry?" he whispered.

"Yes, love?"

"I want to make the Manor into a school," he said, finally revealing the idea that had occurred to him earlier.

He felt Harry's chest shake against his back. "Are you trying to give McGonagall a run for her money?" He stopped when Draco nudged him with a sharp elbow

"I want to make a secondary school for wizarding children. All kinds of wizarding children, Muggle or wizard borne," he clarified. "Where they can all learn about each other and their world together, without prejudice." Draco traced his fingers on the arm underneath him, tracing his name in Harry's skin. "I plan to ask Remus and Severus to run it," he added softly.

Harry didn't say anything for a moment because he couldn't work past the lump in his throat. He remembered a time when Draco would have railed at being taught by a werewolf and here he was planning to open a school and allow wizarding children to not only be taught by them but alongside Muggle born children. It still amazed him how far Draco had come and how he had opened his heart.

He squeezed him for a moment before cupping the proof of their child. "You're going to change the world for him, aren't you?"

"I'm going to try, Harry," Draco replied softly. "I'm even going to ask Hermione to help."

Harry smiled tenderly, resting his chin on Draco's head. "With both of you, the wizarding world doesn't stand a chance."

X x x X x x X


	20. Chapter 20

**Beta:** **noscrubs12345***

**Word Count:** 3,665

**Disclaimer: **Harry Potter and all related characters do not belong to me, I simply borrow them to play with, and make no profit besides my own amusement

A/N: Now, its time to get this story finished, my goal is the end of January , beginning of February :D

* * *

Chapter 20

"You're going to change the world for him, aren't you?"

He chewed over Harry's words at the breakfast table the next morning. His lover was busy inhaling his kippers and eggs, smiling at him between bites and gulps of his coffee.

Their appointment with Poppy had purposely been to chase away any negative feelings they may have encountered at the manor, but it had done much more than that.

He repeated the question in his head again. Was he going to try to change the world for his son? Was there a way to sweep away the prejudices of families with long ingrained mottos of pureblood superiority? It seemed a feat too large to accomplish, but he knew he was prepared to try to make at least a dent.

He wasn't going to teach his son to hate or fear Muggles, but he didn't want him to forget how precious their ancestry was either.

"What's wrong? Are you still feeling sick? Want me to get your crackers?" Harry started getting up but Draco waved him down.

"I'm fine. Just thinking, Harry. Some people like to do that, you know."

"Yeah, and some of those people can eat while thinking." Harry grinned back, spreading preserves on a piece of toast and lifting it to Draco's lips. He took a bite because he knew Harry would not drop his hand unless he did. Once the strawberry flavour lit along his taste buds, he realised he really was hungry and he reached for another bite much to Harry's apparent pleasure.

He took the toast and finished it quickly, following it with the chilled glass of milk. Draco had never been a fan of the drink, but he would follow Poppy's instructions on making sure he was taking in enough calcium and bear with the taste.

"So, what were you thinking about?"

"The school."

"When do you plan to start?"

"Immediately. I'm going to have lunch with Remus and Severus today to discuss it, and I made an appointment with Granger's assistant for two o'clock."

"You don't have to make an appointment with 'Mione," Harry laughed, standing from the table and gathering their used plates.

"I'm not about to barge into her office without one," Draco contradicted. He and Granger got along better than he did with her husband, but he wasn't anywhere near comfortable enough to show up unannounced.

He helped clear the table while Harry began to wash up the dishes, drying the ones he had already scrubbed.

"I could have talked to her for you."

"I want to do it myself, Harry. I'm not exactly afraid of Granger." He sent him a half-lidded look. "Unless she still goes around striking people."

"Not unless they ask for it," Harry quipped then smiled apologetically, remembering Draco's insensitive comments about Buckbeak. "She'll be glad to help you."

"But don't you think you're taking on a lot in your condition?" Harry handed him a plate with a concerned look.

"You're really going to be overprotective until he's born, aren't you?" Draco rolled his eyes, setting the last of the dry plates in the cupboard.

"You heard Poppy. You have to be careful," Harry reminded him, drawing him close with his arms around his trim waist.

"Careful not to overextend myself, but I've not done anything these past few weeks. At least before I had photoshoots occupying my time." Draco drew patterns across the threadbare sleep shirt Harry wore.

"But you don't have to work anymore," Harry assured him, still dealing with the guilt from leaving his lover and child alone.

"I don't, but I can't go back to a life of indolence. I was able to sustain myself making money through my own merit," Draco informed him proudly, moving out of his arms and pulling him out of the kitchen toward the stairs. "And I want to. No need to work on the manor," Draco told him, looking over his shoulder.

"I understand. Just please take it easy," Harry pleaded, following him up the stairs.

"I will. Merlin, you're such a worry wart. Now c'mon, we'll share a shower and then you need to go to work."

Harry smiled. "I can go in late," he suggested, hopping the last few steps.

X x x X x x X

Draco arrived at the restaurant exactly at noon, and was not surprised to find the other men were already at the reserved table. He greeted them both and looked over the menu, trying to see what he felt like eating.

"I'm not moving in there," was the first thing out of Severus's mouth after the men had placed their orders.

"Moving where?" Draco looked at Remus, who let out a small sigh for an answer.

"We know you are going to offer us Grimmauld Place, and Severus does not want to accept it," Remus replied, playing with his napkin and unrolling the utensils.

"I think Black would spin in his grave if I lived in it," Severus sneered.

Under Remus's censuring glare, he mumbled an apology. Draco had to strain to hear him but he caught, "I don't think your ex-lover would want us living in his house."

Draco averted his eyes to give them a little privacy, focusing on his glass of water. He knew a little from Harry that his cousin and Remus had been somewhat of an item at school, although no one had known. It was a relationship which had not rekindled at Sirius's reappearance though, for reasons Harry had been uncertain of when he mentioned it to Draco.

"Draco." Once he saw he had recovered his attention, Remus continued. Draco could see he now rested his hand on the table next to Severus's pale one.

"Sirius left it to Harry, and I'm sure that he would like it if you and Harry began your family there." His golden eyes were kind and his smile a bit sad, but Draco could see the man was at peace with his decision. He himself didn't think he would have been all too eager to live in the home of a former lover of Harry's.

Draco nodded slowly. "I'll talk to Harry."

"Now that we have that out of the way," Remus gave Severus a meaningful look, "how have you been? Did you settle the rest of the problems with the Ministry?"

"I've been well. Harry and I found out we're having a son at our latest prenatal appointment." The congratulations were interrupted when the server brought their appetizers and drinks.

"That's wonderful! Harry's exited for a boy?" Remus asked once the server was gone and the men had begun to eat.

"Already thinking of buying miniature Quidditch equipment, although I am certain he would plan the same even if we were having a girl," Draco informed him. He was very much aware of Harry's ongoing post with the Quidditch supply and his anonymous questions regarding a specially ordered broom.

"Don't forget the potions kit," Severus reminded him.

"I won't. We won't be remiss in ensuring our son receives a proper, well rounded education." It was one of the reasons the school was becoming more and more important to him. He thought of a young Harry huddled in the cupboard underneath the stairs, unaware he was being robbed of his birthright.

There were pleased expressions on the faces of both the former professors' faces, but he wasn't surprised both men valued knowledge. He could only hope they would be willing to impart theirs with the future attendees of the school.

"That actually leads me to the main reason I asked to see you today." Draco took a sip of water and prepared himself.

"What is it?" Remus prompted, setting aside his fork. He must have read the uncertainty in his motions.

"Now that the Ministry has no other reason to look into my accounts or my family's possessions, the manor falls under my complete control." He couldn't help but direct most of the explanation at Remus, whose open expression did much to encourage him to continue.

"After a lot of consideration, I have decided I am going to turn the manor into a school."

Golden eyes widened in surprise, and he could see his former head of house's famous eyebrow raise, just as it had countless times in the dungeons of Hogwarts. He knew he had to get them on board, had to make them realise how beneficial this could be not only for his son but all the children who would come before him and after.

"It's going to be a secondary school open to all magical children, a starting point to introduce the Muggleborns to our society and for the purebloods to gain a better understanding of the Muggle world." He took a sip of water to moisten his throat.

Remus smiled. "I think that's great."

"It's definitely an ingenious way to change the way the Malfoy name is perceived," Severus interjected, dryly reaching for his glass of wine.

"Severus," Remus chided.

"It's all right. He's perfectly correct. It is a way to ensure my family actually goes down in our history books as something more than the Dark Lord's puppets. It gives my son the opportunity to be linked to a name that is trying to do good," Draco admitted, completely unashamed.

He wanted his family to be remembered for being longstanding wizards. If his child's name was going to cause an impression before he was even old enough to speak, it would be a good one. His family was an old one, proud to have carried magic in their veins for generations, and he would impart the good on his son without the irrational hate toward those his forefathers had not understood.

"But it is not all about my family's reputation, but the good it would do in this emerging new world. The school will offer a first-class education, and to accomplish that I would like to hire you both."

"I'm not going to go back to teaching dunderheads," Severus declined immediately.

"You always complained we were not properly taught before we graced the doors of your classroom. Here is your chance to mould young minds without some of the attitude that comes with age."

"So, I'll be making them competent students for some other professor at Hogwarts to enjoy?" Snape snorted a bit at that.

"Professor," Draco used the title deliberately, for the man had not been a professor since the end of the war. He hoped it would cause some nostalgia. "You do so well with Teddy, and you exercise more patience than I have ever seen in all my years as your student. I think you would do well, and you'll have a potions lab at your disposal that will easily compete with the one at Hogwarts.

"Remus, your wages would be greater than what you could get anywhere else, and you won't be too far from Teddy," he pointed out to the now quiet man.

"The position sounds ideal, but I'm not sure the little ones' parents would want me teaching them," Remus replied with a sad half-smile.

"I won't let that become an issue," Draco promised, fully prepared to fight whoever he had to. "If you agree to take this on with me, then I will handle any concerns that spring up from this."

"Take it on with you?" Severus asked. "Just who else is involved?"

"For now, just us. I'm actually hoping you will start in the positions of Headmaster and Deputy Headmaster," Draco finally revealed.

X x x X x x

"Hello, Draco," his former schoolmate greeted him, motioning him to come into her office. His meeting with Remus and Severus had gone well, though the affirmations had not come until the last of the chocolate mousse had been licked from Remus's spoon. Severus had given him a sarcastic remark about making sure he came through on his promises, but Draco knew he was starting to warm up to the idea.

Now he entered Hermione Granger-Weasley's large office. As the head of her department, she had the main office in the newer wing of the Ministry.

"Good afternoon, Granger. Thank you for meeting with me," he replied, taking off his coat and resting it on his arm.

The curly haired woman seemed bemused by his thanks. "It's no problem, but in the future just ring me directly. You don't have to make an appointment. Would you like something to drink?"

Draco shook his head, taking a seat in one of the comfortable chairs across from her desk.

"So, what can I do for you, Draco?" Her sincerity was plain to see, as if she fully intended to comply with whatever he was requesting. He knew deep within him the chances she would say yes were very high, Gryffindors coming to the rescue and all that, but it still felt very strange to ask for her help. His support had always been for Harry during the war. It had _always_ been about him. He never really sought to cultivate more than a cordial relationship with his lover's best friends.

He began to relay his plans for the manor, explaining what he intended to accomplish by remodelling it into a school and who the intended pupils would be.

"It's going to have to undergo extreme renovation to meet our needs, and there is going to be a lot of work involved. We need to establish a Board of Governors, work on a curriculum, which Severus and Remus will help with, but we need more assistance. We, well, _I_ need your help. I need someone to represent the Muggleborns," he clarified, awaiting her response.

He was horrified when she didn't begin asking questions right away, but instead looked at him as if she was trying to decipher what was going on in his brain.

"That is so wonderful." Draco could see her eyes watering, and she took a delicate sniff before standing up from her chair and going around her desk to hug him as tightly as she could in his sitting position. He remained stiff, unsure how to react. The last time she had hugged him was at the end of Battle for Hogwarts, but a lot of people had embraced him then too.

"I take this to mean you're in accordance?" he ventured into her shoulder.

She pulled back, her smile wide and happy. He craned his neck back a little to reduce the proximity of their faces.

"Of course I will." She squeezed his upper arms and moved away, sitting down in the armchair next to him instead of her chair. "Hold on." She grabbed a parchment and quill and pulled her chair close enough to lean on the desk.

"You said that Remus and Severus would help?"

"Yes, they are going to be the Headmaster and Deputy Headmaster respectively."

"So, we'll need my draft of the Fair Employment for Magical Cursed Creatures. We'll need to begin assembling first hand accounts of a couple of classmates that were taught by Remus and came to no harm. What about funding?"

"I will cover all the start up costs, but I will begin networking to look for additional funding. I was thinking of our not so secret weapon."

She nodded knowingly. "Harry. This will be groundbreaking! We have so much to discuss. If this is going to be a yearly program, the Muggleborns won't be able to attend until summer," she murmured, making frantic notes on her parchment.

"Why not?" Draco set his coat on the arm of the chair.

"Muggles go to their own schools where they learn the basics of the materials they need for high school and university."

Draco nodded, listening to her explain about the different levels of education Muggles went through, coming to understand there was going to be a lot involved in this process. Watching Granger's lit up face and her constant flow of information, he knew he had been wise to seek her counsel. They spent another half-hour discussing possibilities, and he even revealed the name he had chosen for the school, which had prompted another hug he returned loosely.

"Thank you, Granger." He reached out to offer his hand for a shake when it was time for him to go.

"No. Now that we are going to embark on this endeavour together, you must call me Hermione," she said, clasping his hand warmly and giving it a shake.

"Thank you, Hermione."

They shared a brief smile.

X x x x x X x x

Harry grabbed his pack lunch and waited at the same bench he'd found Luna at the day before. He knew she said she would be there on Wednesdays, but he came prepared if she showed up as he hoped she would.

He'd looked over a couple of cases for Shacklebolt that morning, none of them names he recognised. It seemed he was supposed to determine if the cases should be eligible for release from their paroles and magical restrictions.

"Hello, Harry. Fancy meeting you here," the blonde woman greeted. "Father sent me out to investigate a possible infestation of Umgubular Slashkilters. Fudge breeds them, you know?"

"I didn't actually, but if it's stupid to do so I wouldn't put it past him," Harry answered, recalling all too well the former Minister for Magic.

"I have lunch this time." He offered up his bag.

"That's nice, Harry. I always did like smoked brisket." She smiled placidly, taking a seat beside him and tucking her large rainbow covered tote between them.

He lowered the bag, dumbfounded. That was exactly what he had wrapped in foil tucked away in his brown bag.

He split the food between them and was silent while they tucked into it.

They set the used wrappings inside the bag, and he looked to her uncertainly, unsure if he should bother her with his problems.

"How are things with your job, Harry?"

Harry could have sworn there was a knowing twinkle in her eye. He wasn't about to waste the opportunity, so he quickly began to tell her about his day.

"Well, I've been looking at some of the cases and it wasn't really what I expected. It's just…some of these suspects seem like the only tie they have to the Death Eaters are their 'dark' families." Harry lowered his fingers from the open quotes.

"I guess it seems like some of them are not evil, really, just mistaken...I'm not sure what to do with them." Harry thought back to the cases, with their attached photographs and bios, all of which followed the same pattern. No blatant acts of bigotry or participation beside the links to dark wizards in their ancestry.

"They actually reminded me of…"

" Draco," she finished for him, taking a big bite of her sandwich.

"Well, yeah. A little. None of them were actually as high profile as Lucius, but they all seemed to have Draco's upbringing," Harry realised suddenly.

"So, I guess it's only fair to give them a chance to prove themselves." One of the things he'd always regretted was not attempting to reach out to more of the Slytherins when he'd been at school. Especially after Draco accepted his help and they'd started falling in love, he'd seen how hard it was for him amongst his house.

"Hmm," she said noncommittally.

Harry thought back to the folders on his desk and the people he was supposed to be figuring out, taking them apart until he could see if they could be a part of this new world or if they were even willing to try.

Maybe it was time for them to move on and try to change just as he was.

"Thank you, love." Harry kissed his boyfriend softly on the lips.

"For?" Draco lifted his head to return the kiss but did not sit up from where he was resting on the couch.

"Hermione called me," Harry answered simply, sitting on the corner of the coffee table and ignoring Draco's censuring motion. He didn't think he would actually get up to make him move, so he was safe for now.

"Did she want to gloat?" The question was posed with semi-seriousness. Harry watched Draco pull on the long sleeve of his jumper.

"Not gloat, but she did go on and on about how amazing it was and that she was so proud of you for thinking of it." He paused. "And that she needs to see me for a briefing for my meeting with the press?"

"I was going to warn you about that," Draco replied, drawing his legs underneath him as he sat up.

"It's fine. I don't mind using my so-called celebrity for something like this," Harry reassured him, touching his folded knee.

"I'm surprised she already spoke to you about that, though."

"Are you kidding? If I know her, she's at home preparing notes about what you'll need. Expect her to ring you early tomorrow with a million questions." Harry laughed.

"Her tenacity will be greatly appreciated."

"Just remember SPEW," Harry reminded him.

"That might be a problem," Draco murmured. "I don't think the Malfoy house elves are going to go anywhere."

"I'm sure you'll manage to work it out."

"I thought of the name." Draco patted the space beside him, and Harry answered his unspoken request and snuggled close to him.

"What is it?"

Draco unfurled his legs and stretched them in front a bit before answering. "I thought we could name it _Le Jardin_.

"It means 'the garden,'" he explained when Harry looked at him questioningly. "In honour of Lily and Narcissa, two loving women who gave their all so their children could blossom."

"When did you become so poetic?" Harry tried to tease, but his voice was gruff and his face emotional although he clung to his smile. Draco didn't answer. He just let the other man bury his face in his neck as he fought tears of his own.

* * *

Thanks for reading!


	21. Chapter 21

**Author: ** **chibidraco**  
**Beta:** **noscrubs12345***  
**Title**: Angel on the Cover  
**Rating:** R  
**Word Count:** 4,565

AN: Thank you to all that reviewed, hope you enjoy the update.

* * *

A month later he finds himself tucked into what has become his chair at the Granger-Weasley dining table. At first, Draco had been reluctant to attend the dinners with Harry, but his boyfriend's hopeful expression had done much to break down his hesitation. After all, this is what he wanted from Harry, for him to move on and get back to normal, and he couldn't expect that normalcy would not include the trio spending time together. He also couldn't keep them at a distance if he wanted to make Harry happy. It was all about compromise. It had taken a while for him to understand that, although he could appreciate he was getting a lot back in return from his low maintenance beau. The pair weren't so bad, either, especially now he was expecting their nephew.

"So, how's it going with work, Harry?"

"It's pretty good. I've closed about four cases so far, changed their probation status and things like that. There have been some people that are only guilty of having Death Eater family members," Harry answered with a shrug.

"That's great. I always thought the system should be more just. I've actually submitted various reports to Shacklebolt about it, showing the correlation between the rehabilitation success rate and level of treatment. Would you like to read them?" Hermione offered.

"It's all right. You can send it to me later," Harry answered, stuffing his mouth full of three-bean casserole.

"Yeah, let the man eat, 'Mione."

"I'm not telling him to stop, Ronald. I'm just trying to help him with his new position."

"I wouldn't mind reading it if you don't mind." Draco said, and Hermione gave him a pleased smile.

"Of course not, Draco. It's a pleasure to have someone who actually wants to expand their knowledge."

Draco could make out Ron playfully mouthing "suck up" from behind his wife.

He gave him a small smirk, which morphed into a smile when he saw Harry was smiling widely at him.

After they'd eaten dinner, Ron and Harry excused themselves and began clearing the table, allowing Hermione and Draco to spread documents on the tabletop.

After the second meal they shared, he'd realised they could take advantage of the arrangement, and began ironing out the details of the school with Hermione after the dinners, leaving Harry and Ron to entertain themselves.

The two men often went off into the living room to discuss Quidditch matches or work or Muggle television or whatever else it was they spoke about when the female part of their trio wasn't there to supervise them.

They worked for fifteen minutes or so, looking over each other's plans, making notes when Hermione came across something that caught her attention.

"Counselling programs?" Hermione looked up from her note taking.

Draco set aside his quill and marked the spot on his page.

"You would be able to tell me if it's needed or not, but it would be for the Muggleborns that have to deal with unsupportive family members. I'm not going to turn anyone away, but there has to be some kind of contract that prevents jealous siblings from outing the magical world," Draco tried to explain.

"What frightened and, in turn, angered my father was the persecution of our people if one Muggleborn family decided to reveal our society to the world, and that we have to hide like second class citizens, while they get to expand their world all around us."

"There must be a separation, I agree on that. What pureblood enthusiasts," she said diplomatically, "don't realise is we are wizards through circumstance. Sure there are wizarding families that have been established since long ago, but how do they explain random children around the world being born with magic to non-magical families? We have to maintain a secret society to avoid discovery, but we can't close it off to any magical person, Muggleborn or not."

"That's true, but what about the families who think magic is unnatural?"

"Like the Dursleys." She pursed her lips.

Draco nodded.

"It could have been so easy for Dudley to tell everyone what Harry could do just because he couldn't." He frowned, thinking of how hard it'd been for his boyfriend living with people who called him a freak.

"Thank you," Hermione said suddenly.

His eyebrows furrowed, not understanding what she was thanking him for.

"For loving Harry so much, I guess." She shook her head. "I'm just glad he's back. Both of you needed each other. We've been so worried. He hasn't told us why he left and we don't want to pry, but..."

She looked so tortured in that moment. The small part of him that wanted to tell her to mind her own business was easily smothered. They were Harry's best friends, and had risked their own lives time and again alongside his fiancée. What was more, during the time they worked together he'd come to consider Hermione his friend as well.

"Hermione, do you believe clairvoyance can appear suddenly?"

She was visibly taken aback by what she perceived was a change in topic, but gathered herself to answer.

"You mean like Divination? I've never placed much stock in that 'ability,' to be honest." She frowned a little.

"I remember Pansy got great pleasure from telling everyone it was one subject you did not excel at, and she was not remiss on spreading the word about your dramatic exit either."

Hermione smiled back, not at all upset. "It was ridiculous, and Trelawney was a fraud. I wasn't about to lie about what I saw or didn't see in those cups."

"I always thought it was a bit frivolous too," he agreed, "but Pansy loved to read tea leaves-loudly-in the common room. Of course, every prediction she made always ended in us getting married." He smirked.

"I think that's proof positive right there it's all a bunch of nonsense. That and the fact Harry and Ron would invent the most outlandish futures, and she would still give them full marks," she complained.

Draco smiled. Harry had mentioned that to him in the past. His smile slowly faded, centring himself once more on what he wanted to ask her.

"I was not referring to Trelawney, though, but her great-great-grandmother. Genuine seers, you know? Do you think it's possible for a witch or wizard to suddenly develop precognition?

"To suddenly experience visions?" he elaborated at Hermione's confused look.

"I'm not sure. I never studied much about it." She seemed a bit embarrassed, as if she was missing a part of her otherwise well rounded education. "Divination put me off the subject. Not to mention Harry's prophecy..." Her eyes widened in discernment.

"Are we talking about Harry? Did he have visions of some sort?"

He nodded affirmatively and spared a look toward the doorway, but he could still hear the sound of the television so he continued. "It was the reason he left. He had a couple of harmless visions, all of which came true. Then he had one of me. Something happens to me, and Harry thinks I die." He wrapped his hand around his stomach instinctively at the words.

"What did he see exactly?" She leaned forward, her elbows firmly on the tabletop.

"He says he sees me in pain. I'm obviously pregnant. There's blood on his hands, and he hears Severus telling him it's all his fault." When Harry had initially explained it, he'd been so overwhelmed with the feeling of abandonment that had been building over those long four months he'd only felt relief to be reassured he was still loved to process much else.

It might be all the plans he was making for the future that needed his personal attention. More likely, it was because the closer he grew to the birth of his son the more apprehensive he was of this vision. He carried a very important life under his heart that depended on him to survive the possibly tragic future his other father envisioned for them.

The baby kicked as if in agreement with the fervent sentiment, but Draco knew it was probably a response to his own frantically beating heart and accumulating stress. Hermione took his hand between her own smaller ones, her face full of determination and encouragement. "You will be fine," she reassured him, much as he had tried to relieve Harry's panic in this same apartment two months ago.

"I will begin to research. There has to be an answer to why Harry suddenly developed divinatory abilities."

Draco smiled a bit. If the answer lay in research, then Hermione would certainly be the most apt person for the assignment. The sound of the television going off robbed him of his smile, and he turned over his hand until he was holding hers.

"You cannot tell Harry. He hasn't mentioned a word of this since then, and I'm not about to drudge it up just as he's starting to get closure. You saw the articles on his wall." She had been as horrified as he'd been when they saw the ghastly reminders Harry surrounded himself with in that dump. He squeezed her hands a little, unable to help himself, until she nodded. She agreed just as they heard approaching footsteps and snippets of conversation.

He admired the ease with which she regained her composure and the cheerful tone she seamlessly adopted as if the mood had not turned dark a moment ago.

"Okay, I think we made a lot of progress. How's the wedding planning going, by the way? Can I do anything to help?" Hermione asked, pulling away her hands just as Ron and Harry stepped in the doorway. She began collecting the spread papers off the tabletop and shuffling them into order.

"Really well considering I've left it in Pansy's able hands." Draco had decided that with as many things as he sought to accomplish he could accept help in other parts of his life as well.

"Oh, 'Mione, she comes over with pieces of cloth and demands that I pick my favourite, but I swear she shows me the same colours just to drive me mad!" Harry complained, taking a seat next to Draco and draping his arm around his chair.

Draco laughed, playing with Harry's fingers that hung around his shoulders. "Harry, as much as she loves to tease, I assure you all the colour swatches are different."

"There can't possibly be twenty shades of green," Harry scoffed, curling his fingers around Draco's.

"Actually, there are a multitude of colours that can be achieved by just moving slightly along the spectrum," Hermione replied. Her husband rolled his eyes heavenward and jumped when she elbowed him in the side without turning to look at him.

"How does she always know?" Ron asked Harry, flummoxed his wife seemed to have developed his mother's talent of having eyes in the back of her head.

"She knows you, mate. You have been crazy about each other since first year," Harry teased.

"No, I thought she was barmy in first year," Ron whispered theatrically before turning and gathering his resisting wife into an embrace. "I'm just kidding. You just scared me because you were so brilliant."

The other three laughed at the outrageous batting of his lashes.

"Okay, that's enough of you." She gave him a quick kiss and pushed him back into his own seat.

"So, you don't need anything?"

"Just your presence," Draco answered. "You should be receiving the invitation by tomorrow. We plan to wed on Saturday."

"But that's only five days away! Well, four since today is almost over," she replied in surprise.

"I'm sorry guys, but Pansy was just able to get the hall," Harry explained with a regretful shrug.

"It's all right. I remember from our wedding you have to grab some reservations at the convenience of the establishments and not your own. Where is it going to be held?"

"Somewhere in France."

"Chateau Vaux Le Vicomte will be hosting our wedding and reception," Draco clarified.

"Harry!" Hermione gave him a look of fond exasperation. "Only you would describe Vaux-Le-Vicomte as a hall."

"I don't remember those things, 'Mione. I don't care where I marry Draco as long as I do," Harry tried to defend himself, blushing when he saw the look of glee on his friend's face. She looked like she was ready to let out an 'aww' at any moment.

"One of the other reasons we're doing it so quickly," Draco drew the attention to him to avoid any remarks on how cute they were, "is to avoid me having to waddle down the aisle." His sixth month pregnant belly was already beginning to show and, in jeans and a jumper, he seemed to have a small gut sticking out from his lean frame.

"And we figured the later the notice, the better we can avoid word from spreading and having unwanted guests."

"Oh, right, mate. You don't want Skeeter coming snooping around." Ron gave his friend a sympathetic smile.

"Precisely. The invitations state the date and time with instructions on where to pick up Portkeys the morning of the ceremony," Draco explained.

"Except you guys. Draco's house elf will deliver the Portkeys to you on Friday night." Harry ignored Hermione's censuring look at the mention of house elves.

"Why Friday?" Ron asked, confused with the cloak and dagger routine.

"That's the best part. Draco booked rooms for the weekend for all of you."

"Our closest family and friends." Draco made the distinction, resting back against Harry's arm.

"Wow, that's really generous of you."

Draco shook his head at Hermione's comment. "We thought it would make up for the short notice, and you are all very important to Harry. And to me." He added the last bit a little softer, but no one called him on it.

"Well, it's going to be difficult finding a gift, but we would not miss it for the world." Ron nodded enthusiastically beside her. Then he had all of them laughing with his next comment.

"We're not about to turn down a free holiday at some fancy French hotel. Happy Early Anniversary, Hermione!"

X x x X x x X

Four days really wasn't much time. That fact seemed very clear to Draco when he found himself dressing in one of the state rooms of the chateau. Ninety-six hours could pass in the blink of an eye. Hermione informed Draco she had managed to receive permission to utilize the Hogwarts library, and, among a running commentary of the necessity of providing a competing library in Le Jardin and complaints of the lack of public library system in the wizarding world, she reassured him she was reading all she could on the subject of prophetic dreams.

He wasn't sure what a public library was, but he was certain he could look forward to her explaining it in the future. In the meantime, he made it a point to put it off his mind and enjoy his upcoming nuptials, determined not to ruin the experience for himself.

"Everything is in place." Pansy pushed aside his hands to smooth the lapels of his robes, making sure the vest and shirt he wore beneath were not crumpled.

"I've already given the robes to your Gryffindor. Are you sure I can't give him a trim before the ceremony?" She pulled a pair of scissors from her robe pocket.

"No, Pansy, leave his hair alone," he told her for what felt like the fifth time in an hour.

"Fine, I won't touch your beloved's coiffure," she muttered, vanishing the scissors. "I must inform you, though, his hairstyle is not nearly as appealing to the rest of us as it seems to be to you."

"That's fine, Pansy." He preferred his Harry rumpled anyway.

"Gregory and Vincent are already groomed and seated. I won't even tell you how long that took. Blaise is late, but that's to be expected of the vain prat. The flowers have been checked for freshness, the house elves have prepared the food and drinks, and the gardens are looking perfect. By the way..."

Draco could only nod, listening to her spout off the list of things she had to double and tripled check, taken aback by how well she'd coordinated everything. Pansy had really gone to great lengths to insure the wedding was perfect and went off without a hitch. He felt warmed by her efforts, especially because she had waved off any mention of compensation, claiming this was her present to them, and not even attempting to hold a favour in return.

"I think you may have met your calling."

"Helping others get married, you mean? Do you think I need employment because I can't find a husband of my own?" She glowered at him, planting her fists on her lilac robes.

"Has Blaise been antagonising you?" He was surprised at how sharp and out of nowhere her response had seemed. "I simply suggest it because you have proven your talent for throwing together a beautiful ceremony in very little time." Draco was not above praising her to maintain the peace for his wedding.

Her hands uncurled from the formed fists and cupped her waist instead in a looser, less confrontational pose.

"Blaise is a tosser." She glared a bit before she smiled. "But you may have a point. I always did have impeccable taste, and it may give me something to do until I find myself a rich husband."

He looked at her pretty face, framed by its chic bob, and figured she would not have much problem accomplishing that, although he did feel a little bad for whomever it was she eventually ensnared.

"I also hired a photographer. Dean Thomas. I believe you know him."

"He's on the guest list, though, and I didn't realise he did weddings."

Draco's brow furrowed. From what he'd understood, he was an artist who created art on canvas and through photography. "He doesn't usually. He was actually insulted I asked, but I got him to agree to do Potter's," Pansy replied smugly. "I think you'll like his style. It seems very natural. He'll go about taking candid pictures of everything."

"I thought it would be better for Potter that way rather than making him pose. That man is a horrible subject."

Draco smiled, but didn't call her on her thoughtfulness. The shots in magazines still had a hard time capturing pictures of Harry where he would actually stay in the frame; having a friend take them would be more comfortable for him.

"There. You look perfect. Just as I imagined you would on your wedding day," she said with satisfaction, moving away to let him see himself in the full-length mirror.

"You imagined me six months pregnant marrying the golden boy?" he teased, recalling her tea leaves predictions.

"You know what, Draco? I'm glad I got over that school girl crush. Otherwise, this would be quite awkward," she mused, looking at him all ready to marry another.

X x x X x x X

Harry had managed not to trip over his feet walking down the aisle or his words when he recited the vows, but he still felt like he was falling. There was a nervous energy in him that could not be relieved with his success at not embarrassing himself at this public function because it did not stem from that.

Last night, he'd woken in the wee hours of the morning, light barely peeking over the horizon, from the same horrible vision. He realised, sitting up in bed, this was the first time since he left for New York he had experienced any visions at all.

He did not tell Draco; he knew his now husband would worry and he already had enough things to contend with. He would try to figure it out on his own, and make sure Draco was protected in the meantime. There were many Death Eaters who would not hesitate to exact revenge on Harry using Draco and their unborn child.

"With that expression one would think you're already regretting marrying me," Draco commented, walking back from his visit to the loo.

"Of course I wanted to marry you." Harry brought his husband into the cradle of his arms.

Draco looked at him intently. "Then what's wrong? You seem really out of sorts."

He tried to say nothing, but the probing look got to him until he knew he had to confess. He looked around, but no one was near their corner; they were all keeping a respectable distance from the newlyweds. Dean was closer, but he was snapping shots of the guests with his back to them.

"I just...I had the vision again," he muttered.

"What a macabre omen to the beginning of our marriage," Draco murmured, an odd expression crossing his face too quickly for Harry to determine what it meant.

"Don't joke about it." Harry pulled him flush against him. "I won't let anything happen to you," he promised speaking into Draco's blond hair.

"It will be fine," Draco whispered against his neck.

"Let's go mingle with our guests, Harry, and get this nasty business off your mind." He pulled out of the embrace and led Harry out of their corner.

As soon as they were in open space, Molly fell on them with the precision of a most experienced hunter.

"There you are! I wanted to thank you again. You didn't have to pay for our stay, especially at such a posh hotel."

"It was our pleasure," Draco reassured her.

"Thank you, dears. Where are you going for your honeymoon?"

"We're actually going to spend the weekend here, and on Monday I'm going back to work," Harry answered, catching sight of Remus and motioning to him to join them. Severus was with him, carrying Teddy in his arms.

"Why not? You need to take advantage now when you don't have a newborn and can relax on the beach somewhere."

"There is too much to do right now. We'll wait until a few months after the baby is born. We've both been on holiday for too long." Draco's words were kind of true. They'd been away too long during their self imposed exiles.

"I understand. Arthur and I never really managed to go on a honeymoon ourselves. Just remember you can always leave the little tyke with me. I have plenty experience," she reminded them with a hopeful smile.

Draco just smiled and nodded appreciatively, but he wasn't sure when he would be ready to go anywhere without his son. Maybe by the time he was Hogwarts bound...

"And what about you two?" she asked the two men joining them. Severus and Remus stopped at her words.

"You're raising a child and living together. When are you going get married and give Teddy a proper family?" Draco knew Molly was only trying to help, but her advice was often delivered as edicts, and Draco was not surprised at Severus' reaction.

Just as Teddy was waving hello to Harry and Draco, Severus replied to Molly, "Mind your business, madam." In one fluid movement, he turned on his heel and began to depart.

"Bye, Harry. Bye, Draco," Teddy called over his shoulder before patting the head in front him. "Sevy, where we go?"

"Away from busybodies, and I'll let you eat one piece of cake."

"Yay!" Ted called out bye to the group before turning and pointing in the direction of the cake table in case 'Sevy' didn't know where it was.

Remus stayed behind, and it was obvious he was trying to hold back laughter at Molly's affronted expression. When he regained his composure, he turned to the frowning older woman and reassured her.

"We're fine just the way we are, Molly. This works for us."

"What works for you?" she asked, baffled. "What exactly is happening between you?" They watched the dour man sitting down at a table with Teddy, handing him a small plate and fork.

"What goes on in a man's home is often a mystery to all," Remus answered vaguely.

"Now, these gentlemen were ideal for marriage," he said smoothly, returning the attention to Harry and Draco. "Congratulations. The ceremony was beautifully executed."

They smiled at his handling of the situation and thanked him for attending.

"Come on, Molly. A big smile for Dean," he cajoled the woman, manoeuvring her toward the photographer.

Harry pulled his new husband closer with an arm around his waist, smiling for his friend. Taking pictures did not feel like a chore with his love in his arms.

X x x X x x X

There was something so erotic about holding onto Draco's fecund form when he thrust into him, the sensation of his son moving beneath his hand proof he was growing bigger and stronger every day. His intention to be gentle was short lived with Draco's gasps of pleasure and demands for him to move faster and harder. Who was Harry to deny him?

The images from their honeymoon clung to Harry even now when he was supposed to be concentrating on his work.

"Okay, Potter! Get to it!" he encouraged himself, grabbing a stack of older cases from the box sent to him that morning. Regardless of Draco's reassurances, he knew he had to be on alert. Danger could be anywhere.

'Constant Vigilance, Potter!' he heard Mad-Eye Moody's motto in his head.

He grabbed the files, sorting them into piles that required different actions. He was lost in his work for a while before coming across a familiar name.

Jerrod Nott.

Wasn't that Theodore's father?

Theodore Nott's folder was not in the stack; it had never been opened because he had died at the hands of Voldemort before the war ended. Harry didn't need a file to remind him of his crimes, though. He would never forget the person who had let the Death Eaters into the school, who'd put them all at risk and attempted to kill Dumbledore. He remembered all too clearly being immobilised under his invisibility cloak, helplessly watching the tall, weedy teen threatening Albus in the Astronomy Tower. Nott had eventually lowered his wand, but it had been too late, and Snape had carried through with his promise to the headmaster.

After Nott's flee from Hogwarts, the next time he'd heard mention of him was when his body had been found on the stoop of his own home, punished by Voldemort for failing to complete his task. Harry thought he could remember having a copy of the article on the wall of his flat in New York. Well, _had_ before Draco had thrown all of his war articles away.

In Jerrod's file, there was some information about his involvement in the Battle of the Department of Mysteries; Harry remembered the man had attempted to grab onto him. Hermione had stunned him, and they'd taken him to Azkaban. He had not personally seen him afterward, so he wasn't fresh in his mind.

There were comments in the folder he'd been one of the escapees from Azkaban during the second war. His last known whereabouts had been his home, but no one had seen or heard from him since the death of his son.

Would this one even be eligible for recovery?

'Might as well start somewhere,' Harry thought, getting out a parchment and quill.

* * *

Thanks for reading!


	22. Chapter 22

**Author: ** **chibidraco**  
**Beta:** **noscrubs12345***

Word Count : 3,218

* * *

Harry was pacing back and forth in his office tugging on his tie. He'd been working away at the material for so long it was almost completely undone, but Draco did not feel like moving from Harry's very comfortable chair to fix it just yet.

"Harry, calm down. You're going to do great. We've already issued a statement with the particulars of the school and its mission statement. This is just for you to publically give your support for the cause. You'll smile...or grimace," he acknowledged when Harry practiced grinning and failed at executing a natural smile.

"You'll read off the speech, look pretty and then Hermione and I will field any questions."

Draco leaned forward, reaching his arms back to try and work the tense muscles in his lower back. He'd just finished the thirty-second week of his pregnancy, and was dealing with back pain now his belly was growing larger.

"Here." Harry was at his side immediately. "Let me."

Draco gave him a grateful smile, leaning onto the desk, his head pillowed on his folded arms. He groaned with relief as Harry's skilful hands roaming over his back, kneading into the areas he needed the most relief.

It had been a month since their wedding, and in those four weeks they'd managed to make a lot of progress establishing Le Jardin. The Ministry had approved their plans, and they were ready to begin remodelling the manor, but Hermione and Draco were wise enough to know it was in their best interest to address any concerns raised by the public in a press conference as soon as it became public record to avoid rumours from forming and spreading.

"Draco?"

"Hmm?" the pregnant man murmured.

"I'll be late tonight, so I was thinking you could have dinner with Ron and Hermione so you don't have to eat alone?" the brunet proposed.

"You've worked late every night this week," Draco complained. "What are you doing in here?" He feebly reached out, petulantly pushing a folder across the desk to the very edge.

"I know. I'm sorry. It's just I'm working on this really interesting case. I finally got permission to search the house." Harry's enthusiasm was evident.

"Why are you going into anyone's home, Potter? That seems a lot more hands on than reviewing files." Draco straightened, withdrawing from those magical hands and turning the chair around to face his husband, his face full of suspicion.

"The man in my latest case has been missing, so I'm going to look for clues. It's not like I'm going into a lair of Death Eaters, Draco. It's just an abandoned house," he reassured his protective husband, straightening the folder before it fell over.

"Why is finding this man so important, though?" What was driving Harry to spend extra time and effort toward this case in particular? The oath Harry signed did not allow him to reveal the identities of his cases, so Draco didn't even have a name to go on.

"I need to know if he can be salvaged, if a second chance is possible. No one else has bothered to give him a second look," Harry tried to explain.

Draco looked up at him from beneath his lashes. He didn't like deflating Harry with reality, especially since he was gaining some of his confidence back, but he knew he had to say something. "You can't save everyone, Harry. Not everyone wants to be saved."

"You did," Harry said softly. The more and more he reviewed the file, the sadder he felt for the man. He'd lost his wife shortly after Theodore was born, he'd already been well on in years when they had him, and then ended up losing his son.

"Harry, whoever is in that folder is not me," Draco pointed out firmly. "I can imagine how different our lives would have been if you had not given me your hand, and if my mother had not done what she did. I probably would have found myself a Death Eater. You would have spat at me, possibly even killed me in some classroom for doing something heinous for the Dark Lord."

Harry's face filled with horror, and he grabbed for his hand, holding it between his own.

"I don't mean that," he corrected himself. "You wouldn't have killed me. Injured me possibly, just as I would have done to you. What I need to make sure you understand is that you had a right to fear and hate some of us. Please don't be disillusioned if this one turns out to be irredeemable," Draco implored, squeezing back in return.

"I won't, Draco, I promise. He wouldn't be the first," Harry revealed.

"Have you seen Luna?" the blond asked suddenly.

Harry hedged for a bit. The last time he'd seen her had been at the wedding. He'd not resumed their lunches because he'd started eating at his desk while he reviewed his files.

"Umm, not for a bit," he answered with a sheepish smile.

"Harry, don't get so involved you forget to unwind. This is supposed to be a cathartic experience for you." Draco's expression grew slightly pinched with concern.

"I won't. I'll call her tomorrow, I promise," Harry vowed, giving him a soft kiss in part to distract him, but mostly for the comfort he drew from it himself.

"All right," Draco reluctantly accepted before going back to his original concern. "Who's going with you to this house?"

Harry didn't want to lie, but he knew if he told him he was going alone Draco would only worry more. He shrugged and replied, "Not sure. Shaklebolt is going to tell me tonight."

"It better be someone competent." Draco held his hands up to get assistance in rising to his feet, and reached for the briefcase he'd left in the office earlier.

"I'm not going to bother Hermione. I'll just go home," he decided.

"Please don't do that. I don't want you alone," Harry pleaded. So far when he'd worked late he'd managed to convince Draco to spend the evenings with his friends; he usually made it back by the time Hermione and his husband were ending their meetings.

"I'm not a child, Harry. I hardly need someone to mind me. I can take care of myself," Draco informed him, resting back against the desk.

"I know you can. It just makes me nervous if you're not with someone. What if you go into labour?" Harry looked aghast at the possibility.

"That's a while off," Draco replied, but the conversation with Hermione last week suddenly returned to him.

_"There have been wizards having legitimate visions without prior sign of precognition. They never lasted for long, and usually it was to warn them of a particular possible future event. No one knows how to explain it, but less than two percent of wizards ever experience it_._" She_ _had relayed the information backed up with notes and citations. _

_"Why am I not surprised Harry is one of the lucky ones?" he'd commented dryly. _

_"Harry does have a habit of defying small odds," she nodded. _

_"The difficult and annoying," she stressed with a frown, "thing about visions is they don't normally show you everything. You're left with impressions and images. From what I've gathered from the various texts and examples, I'm positive Harry's vision points to a complication with the pregnancy. I think we should make sure you see Poppy at least once a week to make sure everything is okay." _

Hermione was not in complete agreement about keeping their findings from Harry, but it did not stop her from fully devoting herself to help him. She'd even taken the extra precaution of charming a galleon to alert her immediately if something went wrong.

"Please." Harry's plea brought him back from his musings, and he did not hesitate to pull out the kicked puppy look to get Draco to agree.

"Fine," Draco answered. He was tired and longed to go home, but he figured if it granted Harry some peace he would intrude on Hermione for another night, though she'd repeatedly denied he was a bother. It was probably better for him and the baby anyway; if any complication reared its head, it was better for both of them to have help a shout away.

"Thank you." Harry leaned forward, pressing him a little firmer against the desk and tenderly moving his mouth over Draco's, giving his belly a quick rub before moving back.

"I think we need to go," he murmured.

Draco nodded, reaching to adjust Harry's falling tie until it rested neatly once more. "Let's go and network, Potter."

X x x X x X

"I've never been good with speeches. I don't really like speaking in public, and I don't like being the centre of attention, but I think you lot know that." The assembled reporters laughed. Harry smiled a bit, blinking to adjust his eyes from the random camera flashes.

"Yeah! We didn't even get to see your wedding!" someone called out.

"Congratulations, by the way," someone was polite enough to add.

Harry nodded. "Hermione even tried to coach me. She helped me write a speech, but I don't think I can read the stuff she wrote. It's loads nicer than what I would have thought to say, but I think it's best if it comes from the heart, I guess." He laughed nervously.

"Look, I'm just a simple man. I count myself lucky I was able to marry the love of my life, and now he's even giving me a son." There was some twittering at that, but no one tried to interrupt him. "As far as I'm concerned, I'm taking a break to enjoy the fruits of my life. However, Draco is only just getting started. He and Hermione have worked long hours into the night getting this ready. Draco has even managed to get Severus Snape, one of the world's best Potions Masters, and Remus Lupin, who has to be one of the best professors I ever had, to be part of this. They believe in this school, and I have at least ten note cards here that will tell you fifty reasons why it's a good idea," he said, waving the aforementioned papers. "I think you'll agree and support them because who wants to continue advocating hate? I for one am proud my son will have this, and will be a part of a generation much smarter and kinder than our own."

Questions started to fly through the air too quickly for Harry to grasp. Draco went to his rescue, standing next to him on the podium followed by Hermione.

"We will take questions in an orderly fashion. Please raise your hands, and we will call on you," Hermione instructed.

And so the questions started, the first confirming Harry's surprising announcement.

"So Draco _is_ pregnant?"

"I would have thought that was obvious," Draco replied blithely, patting his stomach. "This is certainly not the result of eating too many cauldron cakes."

There was laughter in the room before someone called out, "What are you going to name him? Is he going to be a Potter or a Malfoy?"

"Was he planned?"

"We are very happy about our son, but we ask that you respect our privacy and keep all questions relevant to the project, please," Draco answered.

"Next!" he called out after ignoring a few more questions about the baby.

"When will it be ready?

"Work will begin immediately."

"Is it true it's going to be at Malfoy Manor?"

"Yes, the extensive grounds are perfect for what we need."

"But what about the dark artefacts?" Draco raised his eyebrow at the idiot who would bring that up just to cause a stir.

"As you should know, the Ministry has already done a complete sweep of the manor, and can verify it is perfectly suitable for use. I will be there to supervise every part of the construction myself."

"I'm surprised you're willing to do away with the legacy your family fought so long to maintain," Rita Skeeter asked with false concern. "What would your parents say?"

He could feel Harry stiffening against him, and reached for his hand using the podium and his robes to hide it.

"I cannot think of a better legacy than providing an institution that will help bring up more knowledgeable and well rounded witches and wizards."

"Are you really going to have a werewolf teach the children?" The reporter looked horrified at the very thought, and it was apparent in her voice.

"No, we have a man who turns into a werewolf. First and foremost he is man, a very good one, and a decorated hero who put his life in danger to protect everyone from a dark future, even people like you...and I who were too ignorant to know the difference between a man who holds back a monster and those who cannot blame their actions or cruelty on the pull of the moon."

We trust him, and he is, after all, like a father to Harry." Draco was ready to pull out whatever they had in their arsenals to make this happen. "We are most lucky to have him."

He moved back so Hermione could field the rest of the questions, and she did not miss a beat, returning every question confidently.

"That went well," Ron said as soon as they left the crowd of reporters behind and went to Hermione's office to talk.

"It went just as planned, minus the slip about the baby." Draco looked sideways toward his husband.

"I'm sorry," Harry lifted his hands.

"I'm only teasing. We just confirmed what they already knew. At least this way it was more controlled than being chased down in the streets," Draco reassured, shifting closer on the couch. Harry grabbed his hands, resting them with his on his lap.

"If you don't mind, I'm going to sleep in Harry's office for a bit. When it's time for you to leave, do you mind waking me?" Draco asked Hermione.

"Of course not. I'll pass by for you," she confirmed with a small pat on his knee. "You're working late again, Harry?"

"Just for a bit longer," he was quick to explain.

"I hope so. Draco needs you, especially now that he's in his third trimester," Hermione pointed out.

"Why? Is there something wrong?" Harry asked, feeling his heart start to race, looking to his husband for answers or a clue something was wrong, his dream forefront in his mind.

"He's fine," Hermione assured him. "What I meant was this is the hardest time for his body, so he doesn't need to have any extra stress or worry. So you make sure you take care of yourself, okay?" She seemed a little flustered.

"Are you sure you're okay?" Harry asked his husband.

"Hermione has turned out to be a huge worrywart." Draco rolled his eyes. "She even obtained a medical wand on loan from Poppy, and she insists on pointing it at me at random intervals."

Harry relaxed at his gentle teasing. "Hermione just wants to help, and get in some practice," he added, slapping Ron on the back, "for when they start having their own kids. I don't think it will be too much longer."

X x x X x x X

Harry waited until Draco left with Ron and Hermione before preparing for his investigation. He'd met with the Auror Shaklebolt put in charge of preparing the house two days ago; he'd been chosen for the assignment because he specialised in breaking curses and wards.

It was either easier than he thought or Auror Presley really was that good, because it only took him two days after receiving his instructions to break the wards. He had even gone the extra step to provide one-way Floo access from Harry's office.

When he mentioned his surprise, Presley had modestly replied, "It's easier if the owner of the house has abandoned the home. It weakens the wards.

"We also checked the house, so you should be perfectly safe. I called a team to clear the dark artefacts we found. You should keep a look out for the house elf, though; it never revealed itself, but we think there's one in there. Are you sure you don't want me to come with you?" Presley asked hopefully.

"No, but thank you for offering."

Harry knew the level of cooperation he had received was probably not offered to other employees, but this task was important enough that he paid the preferential treatment no mind. There had to be some benefits to this otherwise maddening Boy-Who- Lived business.

When he arrived through the Floo, the room he stepped out into was dark. There was nothing to guide his way except the reflected light of the moon in the window, which provided just enough clarity to light some candles. He cast a quick _lumos_ and surveyed the area. The dust covered couches...grimy tabletops...everything showed sign of abandonment.

An inspection of the other rooms revealed much of the same. He pushed open one of the doors and smiled gleefully. Nott's office! He was sure to find something in there.

Except...all the drawers were empty. Harry began searching through the bookshelf, picking up books at random and shaking them to reveal stowed away notes like he'd seen in a police drama once, but found nothing. When he reached for another book he stiffened. There was someone watching him.

He stilled his movements, deliberately reaching for his wand, ready to hex whomever was hiding in the shadows, but the room was small and he could not see anyone. Just as he was about to start sending hexes randomly around the room, he thought of Presley's warning.

Didn't Presley mention a house elf?

"Hello?" he called into the room. "My name's Harry. Could you come out please?"

There was no response, but the certainty he was being watched did not ease.

Well, if there was a house elf here, he wasn't answering. Maybe he should bring Kreacher back from Hogwarts, and ask him to check for the other elf, which reminded him to tell the house elf he was back. Kreacher had not been pleased when Harry left and instructed him to stay at Hogwarts. He wasn't looking forward to the complaining.

Wait...If the house elf had been alone all this past year, could he have eaten?

He pulled the bar of chocolate he saved for a snack from his robe, placing it softly on the empty desk.

"You're probably hungry," he said into the silence.

Maybe he knew where his master had gone. Harry decided he would come back tomorrow with a proper meal, and if he yielded no results, he would resign himself to the lecture Kreacher probably had in store.

X x x X x x X

How dare he look so happy?

On the cover of the Prophet, standing next to Potter going on about their trite little school and the unborn half-blood Malfoy carried.

He'd followed them all the way from New York, and had been forced to lay in wait.

It seemed Potter had grown very paranoid. Malfoy was never left alone. He would have to wait for the perfect opportunity, but it didn't worry him. He had nothing but time.

* * *

Thanks for the reviews guys ! We are almost at the end ...

Finally ! :D


End file.
